Makes You Feel
by NikkiB1973
Summary: This is a re-write of the latter part of Eclipse to make it more Jacob friendly. AU of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright of course belong to SM. She may have screwed up the main story but did give us a wealth of characters to play around with.

_**A/N-I have a new laptop. I was transferring all my stuff off my old hard drive and sorting them into folders when I came across this. I don't even remember writing it, it was so long ago. I thought I would share anyway.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

**Part One-Bella Watch**

Bella gazed in silent awe at Edward's flawless face. Already she could feel her breath quickening as his fingers, forever gentle, traced the curve of her jaw as he gently tilted her face toward his inviting lips. His liquid topaz eyes darkened for a minute as he pulled away from the kiss.

"They are here." He murmured.

"They?" Bella shook her head, struggling to think clearly.

"Jacob Black and Embry Call are here to take over Bella watch." Edward's slightly mocking smile belied the defeated sigh that followed.

"Oh." Bella faltered as she glanced toward the opened window. "You have to go?"

"Only for a while, my love." Edward's smile turned tender, loving. He raised his hand, hesitant, conflict raging in his eyes, and then swiftly leaned in and brushed his lips across hers in a goodbye kiss.

Bella stared at the torn expression on his face, he looked almost pained, and so fiercely beautiful that the urge to touch him flared like a strong ache in her heart. Her goodbye stuck in her throat.

Edward straightened, his fingertips tracing the length of her cheekbone leaving a trail of cold in their wake. "Jacob Black..." He began with difficulty.

Bella, feeling lightheaded, gazed up at his perfect profile, perplexed by the sudden change in his tone. It was rare for him to bring up the subject of her erstwhile best friend. "What about Jake?" She asked cautiously.

"Something has happened. He may need his best friend tonight." Edward's eyes burned with sympathy for a protracted moment-playing havoc with the rhythm of her heart-and then turned serious again.

"Are you listening to Jake's thoughts?" Bella was horror struck. She knew how much Jacob hated it when Edward delved into his mind. It was bad enough that his pack brothers knew his every thought and feeling when he was phased. For Edward to do the same thing felt like a bigger invasion of his privacy. "You promised you wouldn't do that anymore, Edward."

"This time I feel it's justified. You need to treat him gently, Bella. I know your friendship has been going through a difficult patch-"

"That's not my fault." Bella interjected morosely.

"I know it's because of me." Edward sighed again and glanced toward the window. "I should go."

Bella kept her expression firmly under control as she held his gaze for a few micro seconds, before he abruptly broke it and headed toward the window. When he reached it, one hand balancing on the sill, he turned to look back at her one last time. "I think it would be a good idea for you to take a shower to wash away my scent. It might make it easier on both of you."

Then he was gone.

* * *

Bella walked leisurely to the shower, steam filling the bathroom as she turned the thermostat right up to the hottest temperature. She stepped under it and bathed her skin lightly, taking careful notice to wash every part of her pale skin. After her shower was finished she gently towel dried her hair, before pulling on a thin tank top and some loose sweats.

She wasn't surprised to find Jacob in her room when she returned from the shower. Edward's warning had prepared her. He was standing by the window, his expression guarded and his dark eyes like impenetrable black coals as he looked in her direction. Bella wasn't put off by his stern glare. She knew it was all an act, a way to shield himself from the emotional pain she continually inflicted on him.

"Hey." She whispered, smiling tentatively.

"Hey."

There was no answering smile from her sun and she was surprised how much this hurt. Bella swallowed thickly as she padded barefoot over to him. He had turned back to the window, gazing out into the dark night. Every line of his body screamed tension. She knew him well enough to know he was deeply upset. Edward's intimation that it was something that happened earlier that day meant that for once she wasn't the cause of his distress.

"What happened?" She said simply, arms outstretched toward him.

And just like that Jacob Black crumbled. His shoulders drooped and he swung around to face her. People often speak of the colour of eyes, as if that were of importance, yet his would be beautiful in any shade. From them came an intensity, an honesty, a gentleness that radiated straight to her heart. And right now they also showed an unspeakable agony that threatened to break it.

"My dad." He said thickly.

Bella caught his hand and he let her take it. She led him over to the bed and settled on it, patting the mattress beside her in invitation. He sat cross-legged on the covers, moving with an uncharacteristic lack of speed, as if even walking a short distance was a monumental effort.

"What did Billy do?" She prompted him gently.

"It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have said anything. I don't even know why I'm here." He cast a despairing glance around the room.

Bella waited in silence for a moment, trying to decide whether to push it. She had been making so many wrong choices where he was concerned lately and didn't want to add this to her list. He was clearly distressed. Edward's words came back to haunt her. _"Something happened. He may need his best friend tonight."_

That something must be bad if even Edward was prepared to acknowledge it.

Bella decided to push it. "You wouldn't have mentioned it if you didn't want to talk about it."

"It's gross."

"I don't care if it is gross. Just tell me."

Jacob sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You know Billy's diabetic."

"He's not ill, is he?" Bella asked anxiously. "Oh, Jake." She took his hand again and intertwined their fingers.

Jacob stared at their joined hands before he raised his dark eyes to hers. Bella was struck again by his beauty. His was a beauty that came from deep within; as each year passed he got more handsome still, as if his soul shines through his skin.

"So my dad hasn't been taking care of himself. Like, he'll eat huge bowls of sugary stuff and give himself extra insulin as if he can make up for it. That's how he ended up in the wheelchair, but he keeps doing it. When mom was alive she managed his diet for him, so I guess when she wasn't there anymore..." His voice tailed off.

"I'm so sorry, Jake." Bella was floored by the depth of pain his voice.

"One of the things about people with diabetes is the bad circulation, and sometimes this causes nerve damage. And if that keeps getting worse, they get foot ulcers."

"And Billy's got these ulcers?"

Jacob heaved another big sigh. "They've grown into these big weeping sores on the bottom of his feet. They...ooze."

"Jeez, Jake." Bella's hold on him tightened. "He needs to have them treated. he can't expect you to..."

"Who else is there?" Jacob cut in resentfully. "He doesn't have any feeling down there, so doesn't notice when they open up. I had it out with him this morning, I tried to persuade him to go and get them treated by a professional, but he refused and told me just to clean it up and put more dressings on it." He frowned at the memory. "I did what he wanted, but right afterwards he wheeled himself into the kitchen and started eating ice cream right out of the tub. I lost it and we had this huge row. It was like he was doing it on purpose. The damn fridge is full of crap. All bad for him, and I..."

He was beginning to shake. To distract him Bella slipped her arms around his neck and pulled his head onto her shoulder. She stroked the back of his head while she waited for him to calm down. As she did her best to soothe him she felt her own anger toward Billy rising. It's like he didn't seem to care how his actions were impacting on his son. She didn't express that anger, that was the last thing he needed. What he did need was her support, and she hadn't been giving him much of that lately. She had been a shitty friend, only thinking of herself, which made her as selfish as Billy.

"What can I do?" She asked instead. "I can speak to him."

Jacob made a muffled snorting sound against her neck. Bella realised he was laughing at her. She smiled and released him, laughing along with him. "I guess not."

He raised his head and looked at her. "I've missed you, Bells. I don't want to fight anymore."

"I've missed you, too." She confessed, squeezing his fingers gently.

His answering smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opens. She could see how it came from deep inside to light his eyes and spread into every part of him. Jacob didn't just smile with his mouth, it was in his voice, in the choice of words and the way he relaxed. It was beautiful and Bella felt her eyes tearing up in response.

"Are you crying?" Jacob had noticed the glimmer of moisture in her eyes. His bright smile faltered. "Did I do something?"

"No, silly." Bella swiped at the corners of her eyes. "It's just me getting emotional again. These are happy tears, Jake."

"Oh." His relief was obvious. "You had me worried then."

"You know me." Bella shrugged her shoulders and laughed awkwardly.

"Yeah, I kinda do." Jacob said softly. He reached out and skimmed his fingertips along the length of her cheekbone, actually following the same path as Edward's had done earlier. Instead of a trail of cold all she felt was warmth. Bella's breath caught in her throat and he quickly snatched his hand back. "Too much?"

"No...yes...maybe..." Bella hated that she was hurting him...again! "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." He gave her another smile but she knew him well enough to know when he was faking it to hide his pain.

"It does matter. You matter. Never forget that." Bella took his hand again and raised it so that it was resting on the same cheek he had just touched. Then she overlaid her hand on his, her eyes fluttering closed at the warmth exuding from his palm.

When she opened them again it was to find Jacob staring at her. In that moment he looked so much younger, more the boy she remembered, than the man he was becoming. His expression was open, vulnerable. The tendons and his veins became prominent under the red-brown skin of his arms as he sat tensely in front of her.

"Jake, what's wrong?" She whispered as she released his hand from her face.

"I don't know." He whispered back. "I feel overwhelmed I guess. I've missed this. I've missed us. I'm just scared you're going to take it all back and push me away again."

"I won't. I can't. You're too important to me." Bella laid her hands on either side of his face and looked at him earnestly.

"Important enough for you to stay human." Jacob saw the withdrawal already starting in her eyes and he grabbed her, wrapping her up in his arms as he pulled her onto his lap. "Don't say it." He murmured into her hair. "Please, don't."

"Jake." Bella was crying openly now. Why did it have to hurt so much? She was selfish, selfish, selfish. His fingers were in her hair, cradling the back of her head. "I want to give you everything. But-"

"I know." Jacob cut her off before she could continue. "Just don't say anything. I just want to pretend for a while."

He sounded so sad it broke her heart.

Bella closed her eyes in despair as she pressed her cheek on the bare skin of his chest. She could hear the steady thump of his heart underneath the silken skin. She felt her own beating in tandem with his. After a while of being held in his warm embrace Bella felt herself getting drowsy. Her eyes drifted closed of their own accord and she fell into a nightmare.

* * *

Jacob knew the exact moment she fell asleep. He continued to hold her, his ears perked for any change in her breathing. After a few minutes she began to moan quietly. A deep frown creased her forehead and her mouth was taut, her lips turning bloodless with tension.

"No...Edward!" She mumbled.

Jacob flinched as she spoke the leech's name. He felt his fingers curl into a fist and it took all of his willpower to relax them again.

"No!" The word came out in a long drawn out moan. "Edward, we can't leave them there..."

"Bella? Leave who there?" Jacob questioned worriedly. He was forced to wrap her up tighter in his arms as her arms began to flail, legs kicking wildly as if she was trying to run for her life. "Bells, wake up. Wake up."

His strong voice woke Bella up from her abysmal nightmare. Her cheeks were wet and her body bathed in a cold sweat. Her heart pounded in her chest as her frightened eyes met Jacob's concerned ones. Tears of relief pooled in her eyes as she drank him in. "I'm sorry." She whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologising for having a nightmare?" Jacob cuddled her close and rocked her slightly. It was the same scenario when she had fallen off the bikes. He remembered the blood dribbling her down her face from a cut on her forehead, and the way she kept apologising. Just like she was doing now.

Bella couldn't answer him. She curled up against him, pressing her face into his hot skin. There was no way she could tell him she was dreaming about the Volturi and the helpless tourists who had unwittingly become their next meal. No, she had to keep that horrific secret to herself. If she confided in Jake it would just give him another reason to hate Edward and the Cullens even more.

Once again Jacob was the one comforting her when it should have been her comforting him. Bella drowned in her own guilt as she continued to cling to Jacob like a lifebelt in the middle of a storm.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews! **_

**Part Two-Invitation**

Edward gave Bella a sour look. "I'm trying to be understanding."

Bella didn't respond. She kept her back to him as she concentrated on preparing a meal for Charlie. Her father was in a good mood for once. He could sense the tension between his daughter and Edward and was taking full advantage of it. He sat and watched her throw together his dinner with a smug smile on his face.

"Jacob called." He said as he looked pointedly in Edward's direction. "He says Billy is loving those meals you prepped for him."

"Is that a fact?" Bella kept her tone as neutral as possible.

"Yes." Charlie gave her a warm smile. "I'm proud of the way you've been helping out at the Black's, kiddo. I know how stubborn Billy can be when it comes to his diet. He likes to pretend he can eat anything like the rest of us, but living with Diabetes can be difficult. You've taken a load off Jake's shoulders by teaching him a more balanced diet."

"It was nothing." Bella shrugged. "The recipes were easy enough to find and follow. Billy should have no trouble as long as he sticks to it."

"Bella has always been selfless." Edward said quietly. "Too selfless sometimes."

Charlie frowned. "Are you implying that she's being taken advantage of?"

"Dad, that's not what Edward was saying." Bella quickly tried to placate him.

"I'm sure he can speak for himself." Charlie ground out as he shot Edward a death glare.

"I can assure you I didn't mean anything by it, sir." Edward apologised in his silken voice. No one could question his sincerity by the earnest look on his face.

Charlie grumbled incoherently until the food cut off his garbled complaint.

Bella felt like she was walking a thin line toward disaster. After her mini-breakdown in Jacob's arms the other night, in their exhaustion they had accidentally fallen asleep in her bed. This hadn't gone down well with Edward when he crawled through her window close to dawn to find her encased in Jacob's arms. He pretended to be understanding, but she knew deep down he was struggling. He wasn't blaming her directly of course, no he lay the blame at Jacob's door.

_"He's a teenage boy, Bella. Of course he was going to take advantage of the situation." _

Bella didn't want to talk to Edward with Charlie around, to have to watch her every word in case she let the wrong thing slip was exhausting. Thinking of this made her jealous of Jacob and Billy's relationship. How easy it must be when you had no secrets from the person you lived with.

When Edward officially left for the evening, Bella wondered who was out in the downpour, keeping an eye on her and Charlie. She felt awful for whoever it might be, but in an odd way still comforted. She had to admit it was nice, knowing that she wasn't all alone. She looked out of the window, staring into the dark abyss of the night, trying to catch a glimpse of her guardians. But her weak human eyes couldn't penetrate the gloom.

Soon Edward was back. Bella lay wrapped up in a comforter, her back pressed to the contours of his stone chest. As she closed her eyes she prayed for the nightmares not to come-they came anyway.

* * *

Bella was secretly glad when Edward decided it was best he leave when Jacob was coming over. "It's not that I feel any personal animosity toward him, Bella, it's just easier for both of us."

The sigh that left her lips was one of relief but Edward misinterpreted it for something else.

"I won't be far away." He said at the door. "You'll be safe."

_Great! It meant he would be close enough to hear her entire conversation with Jacob._

Aloud, she said. "I'm not worried about that."

Edward smiled, and then a sly look came into his eyes. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. She could feel his cool breath saturate the strands as he exhaled; it raised goose bumps on her neck.

"I'll see you soon." He laughed aloud as if he had just told a good joke.

"What's so funny?" Bella called after him as he loped off toward the trees without answering.

Feeling annoyed, she went to clean the kitchen, trying to distract herself before Jacob arrived. She had just filled up the sink with water when the doorbell rang. A feeling of elation made her heart flutter.

"Come in, Jake" She shouted.

"I'm already in."

Startled by his voice coming from right behind her, she slopped dishwater all over herself.

"Oh, sorry." He apologised.

Bella turned to look at him and found her face heating up when confronted by his bare chest. Once again, Jacob was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of cut-off jeans. She blushed as she tore her eyes away from his muscled chest. Secretly, she wondered if he was so proud of his new muscles he couldn't stand to cover them up. She had to admit, they were impressive-but she never thought of Jacob as vain.

"Where's your shirt?" Bella cleared her throat awkwardly. "I mean I know you don't get cold anymore, but still. What if Charlie came home unexpectedly and found you standing half naked in the kitchen?"

"He'll probably be wondering why you're standing half naked in the kitchen with me." He laughed as her blush turned crimson. "Does my being half-naked bother you?"

"No." Bella lied badly.

Jacob laughed again, and pointed to a black leather cord, thin as a strand of yarn, that was wound three times below his left calf like an anklet. She hadn't noticed that his feet were bare, too. "My clothes don't just pop in and out of existence when I phase. I have to carry them with me when I run. It sucks to carry jeans in your mouth let alone a whole outfit."

"Jeez, I'm sorry. I didn't think." She gave him an embarrassed smile before turning her back on him to focus on the dishes.

"Bells." His voice was softer now, gentler.

"What?"

"It's okay that you asked."

Bella turned around to face him again, her luminous brown eyes peeking up at him shyly from under her thick lashes. "Thanks, Jake."

Jacob smiled, then grabbed her hand and wrenched her into one of his bone-crushing hugs. Before she had time to react, he dropped his arms and stepped away.

"Ugh!" He muttered, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "I'm sorry, Bells. Your hair reeks of..._him._"

"I didn't think." Bella muttered. Now she understood what Edward had been laughing about earlier, after breathing on her. It irked her that he had essentially done that on purpose to keep Jacob from hugging her. It was petty beyond belief.

"Don't get upset, Bells. All things considered its one of the minor hazards of socialising with vampires." Jacob teased, trying to charm her into cheer again. "Don't stress."

Bella's tense face relaxed into a smile.

"That's better. Come on, I'll help you do the dishes. You wash. I'll dry."

"Thanks." Bella turned back to the sink again and handed him a plate. "I could douse myself in air freshener." She said, only half joking.

Jacob laughed at her lame attempt at a joke. She washed and he dried in companionable silence for a while. Everything was always so easy with Jacob, even doing a mundane task like washing up.

"Did Charlie tell you I called?" He asked after a while.

Bella handed him another plate to dry. "Uh huh. He said Billy really likes the meals I prepped for him."

"He does." Jacob's voice was low and husky as he spoke. "I really appreciate it, Bells."

Bella looked up at him as he looked down at her. Their eyes met and held for a small eternity until she was the first to break contact. "It wasn't that big of a deal."

"It was a very big deal to me." Jacob's face remained completely serious.

"You're welcome." Bella conceded, finally accepting the compliment.

Jacob was silent as he reached for the bowl in her hands. She peeked up at his face-he was frowning, his lower lip jutting out.

"Anything else?" She asked as she picked up a boning knife and started scrubbing it with more force than necessary.

Jacob took the knife from her, probably afraid she was going to cut herself. He turned the knife over and over in his hands under the stream of water. When he spoke, it was only a whisper. "When we had our fight, before we made up the other day. You said a few weeks...When, exactly?" He couldn't finish.

Bella felt her stomach plummet. She had pushed the thought of her impending transformation to the back of her mind. Something she had been so adamant about only a few weeks ago, now seemed the opposite as the deadline drew closer.

"Bells?"

"Graduation." She bit out, watching his face warily.

"God! So soon!" He breathed like a quiet curse, his eyes closing as if in agony. The muscles in his arms tightened and his shoulders were stiff.

Then-

"Ow!" His sudden outburst made Bella jump out of her skin.

His right hand had curled into a tense fist around the blade of a knife-he unclenched his hand and the knife clattered to the floor. Across his palm was a long, deep gash. The blood streamed down his fingers and dripped onto the floor.

"Oh, no, Jacob." Bella felt her stomach clench at the sight of all the blood. "Wrap this around it." She shoved the dish towel at him, trying to fight off the nausea that the smell and sight of blood always provoked in her.

"It's nothing, Bella, don't worry about it."

Tears pooled in Bella's eyes as the room shimmered a little around the edges. "You're hurt. I can't bear it." She took another deep breath and grabbed his hand, pushing it under the faucet. The water ran over the wound, cleaning away the streaming blood.

"Bells? Bella?"

Her head was spinning. She couldn't look at him. The smell of the blood was making her feel sick. Jacob was wounded, hurt, and it was all her fault. Then his warm hand was cupping the back of her head. She looked away from the wound, up to his concerned face. He was frowning, but his expression calm.

"I hurt you. I'm always hurting you." She cried.

"What?"

Then she couldn't see him at all. Everything blurred around her and she was back in Italy again, listening in silent horror to the traumatised screaming of the innocent tourists as the Volturi fed on them.

"Relax, Bella. Breathe. I'm fine."

Bella's vision cleared to find Jacob hovering over her, gently coaxing her to breathe. She inhaled through her mouth and removed her teeth from her lower lip where she had tried to stop herself screaming.

"Jake?"

"Bells, I'm fine." He rushed to reassure her again. He let go of her and turned off the water.

"You need to wrap up your hand."

"Bells, I don't need to." He flashed her a half smile and thumped his fist against his chest, deepening his voice. "Werewolf, remember?"

"Let me see." Bella gasped.

Jacob sighed as he laid his hand in hers. She stared at it, even flipping it over, though she was sure he had cut his palm. She turned his hand back up, finally realising that the angry pink, puckered line was all that was left of the wound.

"I can't believe it. I..." She fought to breathe as the overwhelming memory of her time in Volterra got mixed up with her fear that he was hurt. She began to cry, great gulping sobs that tore at her throat.

Jacob was astonished at this overreaction. Leech smell be damned! He scooped her up in his arms and hugged her tight. "It's okay." He crooned, doing his best to ignore the vile stench which seemed to cling to every strand of her hair. Slowly his insane heat curled around her like a warm blanket, she relaxed, her whole body shuddering in silent relief.

Seconds later and Edward burst into the kitchen. Raindrops glistened on his bronze hair like diamonds, which was at odds with the fury sparkling in his tawny eyes. His nostrils wrinkled in disgust at the smell of wolf blood. Jacob let Bella go, his dark eyes matching Edward's fiery glare.

"Did you two get into a fight?" Edward demanded, his face set like a steel trap.

"Edward?" Bella's head was reeling at the shock of losing Jacob's comforting warmth.

Edward immediately went to her and wrapped his arms around her. "What did he do, Bella?" He demanded.

"N...nothing." Bella trembled in his cold embrace. "We didn't f...fight."

Edward's keen gaze zeroed in on the bloody knife. "I was just wondering why you stabbed him. Not that I object."

Bella pulled away from him with a jerk. She had forgotten all about the knife. She grabbed it, dumping it in the sink before reaching into one of the cupboards for the bleach. She threw in the bloody dish cloth with it, before dousing it all in bleach.

"I didn't have a knife." She explained breathlessly as she worked. "He forgot he had a knife in his hand. Right, Jake?" She looked up at Jacob pleadingly.

Jacob's fiery gaze softened as he met her anxious eyes. Seeing her freak out like this as she tried to placate Cullen was disturbing. It was just more evidence on how much he controlled her. "He can read my mind, Bells. You don't need to explain yourself. Calm down." He lay a gentle hand on her shoulder and she took a deep breath.

"I think you have outstayed your welcome, Jacob Black." Edward said coldly. "You can leave now."

"This is Charlie's house. He's the only one with the authority to throw me out. And if he was here right now, we both know it would be you who was leaving." Jacob snapped.

"Do you really want to do this now? I've tried to be understanding about your.._situation_." Edward's tone held the merest hint of a sneer.

"Go to hell." Jacob growled.

"Jake, please. Maybe its best that you go. I'll call you." Bella lay her hand on his arm, her eyes and voice still pleading.

Jacob hated that she was still so much under Edward's thrall. Theirs was a textbook case of an abusive relationship but she was just too much under his spell to see it. He was desperate to get her away from the leech, even if it was for a couple of hours. If he could get her alone, if they could just talk...

"Hold up a sec-hey, do you think you can come to La Push tonight? We're having a bonfire party. Emily will be there, and you could meet Kim...And I know that Quil wants to see you, too. He's pretty peeved that you found out before he did."

Bella swallowed thickly as she darted a glance in Edward's direction. Cullen stood like a stone statue of Adonis, his eyes and face unmoving as he waited for her to voice her refusal at this unwanted invitation.

"Yeah, Jake, I don't know about that. See, it's a little tense here right now..." Her anxious eyes flicked to Edward again.

"C'mon, Bells. It'll be fun." He coaxed her.

"I'll ask." She faltered.

Jacob made a noise in the back of his throat. "Is he your warden, now too? Do you need to ask his _permission?_ You know, I saw this story on the news last week about controlling, abusive teenage relationships and-"

"Okay!" Bella cut him off desperately, as she shoved his arm. "I'll come. Just go."

"Fine." Jacob saw Edward scowl out of the corner of his eye but he didn't give a crap. The leech couldn't stop Bella going otherwise it would make him look like the controlling prick that he really was. "I'll pick you up later, Bells." He said, before ducking out of the back door.

_**A/N-thank you for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thanks for the kind reviews!**_

**Chapter Three-Werewolf Proof**

Edward took a big envelope out of his jacket pocket and passed it to Bella. "I got your mail."

Bella stared at him, chewing on her on her lower lip nervously as she stared at the legal-sized envelope. She was surprised at the weight of the paper, and read the return address.

"This says Dartmouth." She said in confusion. "I never applied to Dartmouth."

"I did it for you." Edward said calmly as if it was no big deal. "I sent in your application and it has been accepted."

"I don't believe this." Bella faltered. She was finding it difficult to talk past the lump in her throat. "Why would you do this without telling me? I'm not Dartmouth material."

"Dartmouth seems to think you are." Edward gave her a disarming smile.

Bella counted to ten. "I can't do this." She finally said, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I can't afford the tuition-"

"Bella, love, you are making too much of this. Everything is paid for." He cut in quickly. "You'll enjoy college. I know you will. Just think about it. Just imagine how excited Charlie and Renee would be..."

Bella listened in fraught silence to his velvet voice as he painted the picture in her head. Of course Charlie would explode with pride-no one in the town of Forks would be able to escape from the fallout of his excitement. And Renee would be over the moon with her triumph. But it felt so wrong, all of it. She hadn't earned it. It was all paid for by the Cullens. She hadn't planned on going to college. With everything that had been going on, she hadn't even given her future a single thought, other than trying to survive until graduation.

"I can't." She whispered, panicking as her throat got tighter and tighter until she was struggling to breathe. "I'm worried about living through each day, let alone the summer or next fall. I can't think about college or anything like that."

Edward's hard arms wrapped around her. "No one is going to hurt you. You have all the time in the world."

"You don't know that!" Bella cried, fighting her way out of his embrace. Edward knew better than to restrain her. "No one can predict the future." She continued hoarsely. "Even Alice is struggling."

"Bella, please, just calm down. You are getting overwrought for no reason."

Bella was beyond calming down. Lack of sleep and sheer exhaustion meant she was running on empty. "This whole secrecy and deception thing is getting unbearable. I don't want to add more by lying to Charlie that I got into Dartmouth on my own merit. Can't you understand that?"

Edward's expression hardened. "It gets easier. After a few decades, everyone you know will be dead. Problem solved."

Bella flinched, her blood running cold at his bald statement.

"I'm sorry, that was harsh." Edward apologised when he saw the pain on her face.

"But true." Bella pushed the big white envelope back into his hands. "I need to get ready for tonight."

"I was hoping you had changed your mind about that." Edward's tone was scathing.

Bella just stared at him, trying to understand why he was acting this way. She thought they had come to some kind of truce regarding her friendship with Jacob, he had certainly been making the effort to be more gracious about the time she spent in Jacob's company.

Since Jacob had put the idea in her head, she couldn't help but recognise the yearning she felt to go to La Push. She knew it upset Edward and that he couldn't understand why she would want to go hang out with a bunch of wolf-boys right now when there was so many other things he deemed more important. But she was desperate to go. She wanted to escape the death threats, for just a few hours. She wanted to be the less mature, more carefree Bella who could laugh it off with Jacob.

"Bella? Are you even listening to me right now?" Edward demanded impatiently when he noticed she had zoned out on him. "I know I told you I was going to be reasonable and trust your judgement when it comes to you spending time with the werewolves, but I-"

"That's good then." Bella interjected before he had a chance to list the reasons why it was such a bad idea. "So you won't have anything to worry about, will you."

Edward's jewel like eyes gazed at her with apprehension. He wasn't used to her brushing off his concerns. "If you insist on going, then I hope you won't mind taking a few precautions."

Bella braced herself for the worst.

"I want to drive you to the boundary line myself, for one. And I'm going to give you a special cell phone, so that I'll know when to pick you up."

Bella sighed in defeat. At least he was giving up on trying to persuade her not to go at all. "That all sounds fine." She agreed.

* * *

Charlie was on cloud nine when Bella told him she was going to La Push for the bonfire. "If I didn't have to stay late, and work on those missing person cases, then I would be coming with you." He stated. "I still might come, later. We'll see. But you go and have fun, kiddo. It does my heart good to see you hanging out with your _real _friends again."

The fact that he put the emphasis on real wasn't lost on Bella. When she called Jacob to confirm that she was definitely coming he let out a loud whoop of exultation at the news. He was less than enthusiastic to embrace Edward's safety measures.

"No, Bells, I'm not meeting you at the stupid boundary line. I'm coming to get you myself tonight. I'll be there at six."

"Jake, please, it would be so much easier for me if you just co-operated with Edward. It's such a small thing to ask at the end of the day." She begged him.

"Easier for who?" Jacob said darkly.

"Please, Jake." Bella was close to tears. "Do it for me."

Jacob hated it when she was upset, especially if he was the cause. His voice softened."Okay, fine. I'll meet you at the line between the territories at six."

"Thanks, Jake." Bella whispered gratefully.

"Whatever, Bells. I'll see you later."

Then he hung up.

* * *

Bella stared at the huge vehicle overshadowing her little antique motorcycle. To put the huge beast in the same family as her shabby looking bike was just laughable. It was big and sleek and silver-even totally motionless-it looked fast.

"Why did you buy this?" She asked Edward.

His expression remained casual. "Alice saw that you were thinking of taking your motorcycle with you back to La Push tonight. I know that riding your bike is something you enjoy doing with your _friend, _and I thought you could just keep your old bike here instead, and I could go with you whenever you wanted to go for a ride, if you wished. It would be safer if you were with me, then riding with him."

Bella stared at the beautiful machine in disbelief. He was being completely ridiculous. Beside it, her bike looked like a broken down tricycle. With a wave of sadness she realised this was not a bad analogy for the way she probably looked next to Edward.

"No way." She protested.

"No?" Edward put his hand under her chin and raised her head so he could see into her eyes. "Why not?"

Bella bit her lip and hesitated. She really didn't want to upset him. But this was her and Jacob's thing. It felt wrong that he was trying to muscle his way in on it. Even if they did ride together, if she went even a bit too fast, or looked like she might lose control of the bike or something, he would find some way to intervene before she crashed. Besides that she wouldn't be able to keep pace with him on his absurdly expensive bike.

"This is something I do with Jacob."

Edward smiled. He made it look effortless, except for the tiny defensive tightening of his eyes. "Of course it is. Forgive me. I didn't think."

"I'm sorry, Edward." Bella rushed to apologise, already wavering with guilt.

"Don't worry about it."

Bella eyed the silver motorcycle mournfully. "But you've spent so much."

"I will give it to Jasper."

"If you're sure?" Bella breathed a little easier, until...

"But these I insist you wear at all times." Edward interrupted her.

He placed a heavy motorcycle helmet on her head, almost cutting off her air. Then threw something over her shoulders, gently encouraging her to weave her arms through the sleeves of a luxuriously expensive, padded leather riding jacket.

"That should keep you safe." He declared, zipping the jacket up to her chin, and then tapping his fingers smartly on top of the helmet, making her ears ring. "Its bullet proof and werewolf proof, too." He chuckled.

Bella drowned in silent mortification.

* * *

About halfway to La Push, they rounded the corner in the Volvo to find Jacob leaning against the side of the red Volkswagen he had built himself out of scraps. Jacob's carefully neutral expression dissolved into one of confusion when he saw Bella wave at him from the front seat. For some odd reason she was dressed in some kind of bulky leather jacket and was wearing a motorcycle helmet on her head. It was only because the visor was up that he recognised her at all.

Edward parked the Volvo about thirty yards away.

"Call me whenever you're ready to come home." He said. "I'll come right away. I promise."

"Jake can drive me home." Bella's voice was muffled under the helmet.

"I will be here. Try not to stay out too late." He lectured, his expression and tone disapproving.

Jacob watched them warily, making no move to approach, his dark eyes remained indecipherable. Cullen was out of the car now, opening Bella's door as if she didn't know how to work a handle. His hand was under her elbow, guiding her, as he assisted her out of the passenger seat in her bulky outfit. She was still wearing the godforsaken helmet. What the fuck was she dressed in that get up for?

Edward eyes flicked to Jacob briefly, his expression calculating as he suddenly fastened his arms tightly around Bella and hugged her to his stone chest. "Be careful, my darling." He murmured. "By the way, you really look sexy in that outfit. I love the jacket, especially."

_Was this Edward's version of a joke?_ She wondered.

Feeling disorientated, Bella turned away from him, but not before she saw a flash of something in his eyes that she wasn't supposed to see. Was it worry? For a second she thought it was panic. It was hard to tell. She could feel his eyes on her back as she crossed the invisible vampire-werewolf treaty line to meet Jacob.

"What the fuck, Bells?" Jacob called to her, his voice wary, scrutinizing her strange outfit with an enigmatic expression.

Bella shrugged helplessly, feeling hot and bothered in the stifling helmet and heavily padded leather jacket. Seconds later she saw Jacob loping over to her, closing the distance in three long strides. To her astonishment he whipped the heavy helmet off her head and threw it on the backseat of the Rabbit, then his fingers were unzipping the leather riding jacket.

"Cut it out, Jake!" Bella gasped breathlessly when she heard the Volvo's engine growl behind her. "Are you really intending to strip me in the middle of the road?"

"Ugh, don't put images like that in my head, Bells." Jacob teased playfully. "You looked like you were melting under all this crap. What's with the helmet?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Bella could already feel the tightness in her muscles easing now that she was with Jacob again.

Then her air was cut off again, but in a different way, as he grabbed her up in a vice-tight bear hug. She squealed in surprise, and he laughed, giving her a gentle squeeze before setting her down. Bella glanced behind her toward the Volvo, but the silver car was already disappearing around the curve of the road.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews on this story!**_

**Part Four-Some Time with the Pack**

Bella was feeling apprehensive when Jacob towed her out of the forest to the cliff top meeting place. The dry tinder of the bonfire was already lit, the flames rising boldly against the cloud obscured sun. The crackling of the wood and woody fragrance of smoke greeted her along with friendly cries of-"Hey, it's the vampire girl!"

Embry was the first to greet her, pulling her into a hug before Quil jumped up and pushed him out of the way. He gave her a high five accompanied by a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Bella felt her face turn as crimson as the flames eating their way through the wood, while Quil cackled at the annoyed glare Jacob threw his way. Emily came up then, chiding the boys about their boisterous behaviour. She reached out and squeezed Bella's hand as Jacob guided her to sit on the cool stone ground between her and Sam.

Other than a few teasing complaints-mostly by Paul-about keeping the bloodsucker stench downwind, Bella was treated like someone who belonged. Gradually, she began to relax enough to look around. It seemed it wasn't just kids in attendance. Billy was there, his wheelchair positioned at what seemed the natural head of the circle. He hailed Bella with a friendly wave when he caught her looking. She smiled back at him timidly in response. One look told her that the bandages he had been wearing to cover his sore feet were missing. That meant the open wounds must be healing at last. Bella couldn't help feeling a hint of pride that maybe her attempts at an improved diet for Billy was helping him manage his diabetes better.

Beside Billy on a folding lawn chair, looking quite jovial and sprightly despite his great age, was Quil's white haired grandfather, Old Quil. Sue Clearwater, widow of Charlie's friend Harry, had a chair on his other side; her two children, Leah and Seth, were also there, sitting on the ground like everyone else. Bella's gaze lingered sadly on the Clearwater family. If the loss of Harry had devastated her own father, she couldn't imagine how they must be feeling. A part of her was surprised they were there, but all three were clearly in on the secret now. From the way Billy and Old Quil spoke to Sue, it sounded like she had taken Harry's place on the council. Bella felt a smidgeon of guilt that her own father was excluded from La Push's most secret society. This place was like his second home, he had been firm friends with Harry and Billy for years, as well as being deeply respected by everyone on the res. She had to remind herself that she was only privy to the secrets because of her connection to the supernatural world they all lived in.

She kept glancing toward Leah, wondering what the older girl was thinking. Leah had been the apple of her daddy's eye. He was always boasting about her whenever he came to Forks to go fishing with Charlie. Bella felt sorry for Leah, that she had no choice but to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily. Her lovely face betrayed no emotion, but she never looked away from the flames. She couldn't help but compare Leah's perfect features to Emily's ruined face. What did Leah think of Emily's scars now she knew the truth behind them? Did it make her more sympathetic toward her cousin. Or did it seem like justice in her eyes.

"Don't look at Leah with pity in your eyes, Bells." Jacob's whispered warning brought her back into the moment. "She hates anyone feeling sorry for her."

"I wasn't..." She began to protest, but one look at his knowing expression and she fell silent. It was always astonishing to her how he could read her so well when Edward constantly struggled. "Sorry." She smiled apologetically.

They were interrupted by Seth then. Little Seth wasn't so little anymore. With his huge, happy grin, and his long gangly build, he reminded her of a much younger Jacob. The resemblance made her smile widely at him, and she was surprised when she saw a faint blush coating his cheeks. She heard Jacob chuckle quietly and when she turned her attention to him, she caught the same knowing look as before.

"You've met Seth before, Bells. He's the newest member of the pack."

"Newest, bestest, brightest..." Seth boasted.

"And slowest." Jacob jumped up and grabbed the younger boy into a headlock. The two wrestled together for a minute before Jacob took pity on Seth and let him go, ruffling the young shifter's hair playfully.

Bella was stunned to learn that Seth was now a part of the pack. He was only fourteen. She did her best to hide her shock as Jacob joined her on the ground again. Seth had left to rejoin his sister. Bella stared in their direction, still feeling overwhelmed with the news that even younger kids were changing, when suddenly Leah raised her head and looked back at her with an intimidating glare. Bella flinched, feeling embarrassed to be caught staring. Seth whispered something to his sister, but Leah just scowled at him.

"It's nothing personal, Bells." Jacob murmured close to her ear when he noticed how uneasy she looked after Leah's intimidating glare. "She's been going through a rough time lately."

"I know. She lost her dad." Bella mumbled.

Jacob sighed and edged closer to her. She could feel the delicate brush of his lips as he whispered intimately in her ear. The heat from his body was almost as hot as that coming from the bonfire, and she found herself melting. "It's not just losing Harry. Leah is part of the pack, too. She phased around the time her dad died."

Bella felt her stomach drop as she glanced in Leah's direction again. Now she understand why both Clearwater siblings were here. They were part of the pack along with all the others. Poor, poor Leah! To suffer the loss of a parent was bad enough, but to go though the upheaval of a supernatural transformation on top of that must have been soul destroying. She longed to reach out to Leah and hug or something, but guessed that the older girl would probably punch her in the face if she showed any sympathy.

"Hello, Bella." Jared was the next to interrupt their private conversation. "This is Kim."

Bella's first impressions of Kim were that she was a nice girl, a little shy, and a little plain. She had a wide face, mostly cheekbones, with eyes too small to balance them out. Her flat black hair was thin and wispy in the wind that didn't seem to let up atop the cliff. But then she noticed the way Jared was looking at his girlfriend. The way he stared at her as if he was a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. He clearly adored her. It made Bella get over her first superficial impression and really look at Kim differently and she found things to admire that she hadn't even noticed initially. Kim blushed a lot when Jared continued to gaze at her with an awed sense of wonder in his dark eyes, and her eyes would drop as if in embarrassment, but she had a hard time keeping her gaze away from him from any length of time.

Watching them gave Bella a better understanding of imprinting than she had before when Jacob had tried to describe it. She turned her head and let her gaze linger on Jacob's beautiful face, becoming lost in the way his dark eyes reflected the flickering image of the bonfire in front of them, how his skin looked like russet-coloured silk in the firelight, how-

"Like what you see, Bella?" Quil snickered as he snuck up on her other side and tugged on a lock of her hair, startling her.

"Huh?" Bella felt disorientated and a little confused.

_Had she really just been staring at Jacob like Jared was staring at Kim._ _She hoped to god Quil was the only one who had noticed, because if Jacob..._

Bella chanced a glance at Jacob and found him grinning at her in amusement.

_Dammit, of course he knew!_

It took a long time for Bella's blushes to die down.

* * *

"Are you gonna eat that hot dog?" Paul asked Jacob, his eyes locked on the last remnants of the huge meal the werewolves had consumed.

Jacob leaned back against Bella's knees and toyed with the hot dog he had spitted on a straightened wire hanger; the flames at the edges of the bonfire licked along its blistered skin. He heaved a sigh and patted his taut stomach. Bella laughed at him in amusement, she had lost count of how many of the hot dogs he'd eaten. He must have had at least ten to her one. That was without the supersized bag of chips or the two litre bottle of root beer he had consumed.

"I sure am." Jacob said slowly. "I'm sure I can force it down."

Despite the fact that Paul had eaten as much as Jacob, he scowled and his hands balled into fists. Jacob frowned at this temperamental display and flipped the homemade skewer across the circle in Lahote's direction. Bella held her breath as she felt the tension ramp up between Paul and Jacob. She was used to Paul's lack of control after having been on the receiving end of it before. She tensed some more, expecting the hot dog to land on the sand, riling Paul up further. But thankfully Lahote caught it neatly on the right end without difficulty, before taking a huge chunk out of the hot dog with his teeth.

"Ass." Jacob muttered as he stood up and held out his hand toward Bella.

Bella took his hand and he helped her to rise. Hanging out with no one but extremely dexterous people was giving her a complex. As soon as the thought entered her head, she tripped, bumping into Jacob. God, she couldn't even manage to walk across the sand without falling down. She hated being so clumsy. She glanced up at Jacob from under her thick lashes to find him smiling down at her warmly.

"Don't, Bells." He said as if he could read the thought bubble over her head. "You're perfect as you are."

Bella felt her spirits lift and she smiled.

* * *

The fire crackled, settling lower toward the sand. Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange against the black sky. Bella thought it was funny she hadn't even noticed the sun had set. She was being lulled to sleep by the sound of Billy's husky baritones as he shared the ancient Quileute legends with the assembled group.

When Bella had first arrived she had thought it was a simple get together, but technically it was a council meeting. It was Quil's first time, along with Seth and Leah, none of them had heard the stories yet. Jacob hadn't shared that little titbit with her, probably worried that she wouldn't have come if he had. Bella couldn't be angry at him, though. She had enjoyed herself. She saw Kim nodding off against Jared's chest, his arms were around her. Much like Jacob's arms were around her. He was very warm, and his insane heat was just adding to her drowsiness.

"It's getting late." She murmured sleepily.

"Don't start that yet." Jacob whispered back-though certainly half the group had hearing enough to hear them talk anyway.

Bella noticed that there was more than one pair of eyes trained in their direction. She suddenly felt conspicuous nodding off against Jacob's chest like Kim. Their positioning was too intimate, too much like a couple than just friends. She knew it was wrong that she was pressed up against him like she was, but she was cold, and he was so warm. What did they expect her to do?

Billy's stories were coming to an end. Emily closed the spiral bound notebook where she had been jotting down Billy's words as he spoke them. Sam adjusted his position beside her, his stance protective. Leah Clearwater shot him a pained look. Sam looked back at her. Bella saw a flicker of the same pain reflected on his face before he covered it up with am emotionless mask. She watched Leah turn away and do the same. She wondered how Emily could not notice. Or maybe she did but chose to act as if nothing was amiss. How sad for all of them.

Bella shrank a little more into Jacob's side as Paul ran swiftly past them, chasing after a laughing Quil who had thrown sand in his face. "I'll get you!" Paul hollered before the night swallowed them. She glanced at Jacob to find his mouth twitching with humour. He tightened his arm around her and she smiled.

"And their numbers have forced a larger pack than the tribe has ever seen. Except, of course, in Taha Aki's time." Billy said and then sighed. "And so the son's of our tribe again carry the burden and share the sacrifice their fathers endured before them."

"Burden." Quil scoffed as he returned to join the group. Paul was nowhere to be seen. Bella figured he was running as a wolf somewhere after losing control again. "It's cool."

Old Quil shot his grandson a dark look, causing Quil to poke out his lower lip like a child. Across the dying fire, Seth Clearwater-his eyes heavy with sadness-put a comforting arm around his sister. Leah's eyes were closed and there was no mistaking the shiny tear rolling down her cheek. Bella felt her throat tighten with sympathy. Once again she was drawn to hug the other girl, but she remained with Jacob, knowing that Leah wouldn't thank her for it.

Neither she or Jacob spoke for a long time, both lost in their own thoughts. Bella was fretting, the alarm clock in her head was ringing, telling it was time to call Edward. But even though her head was urging her to place the call, her body refused to obey her. She could feel Jacob's breaths, the rising of his chest deep and even, as he cradled her against him. He sounded as close to sleep as she was. Bella felt her heavy eyelids drifting south and before she realised she was out like a light.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews! **_

**Part Five-Fears**

With Edward's cold arms wrapped around her the next night as she slept, Bella had one of the worst dreams she ever had. Her screams were louder than those of the innocent tourists in her nightmare. She felt Edward's gentle hands cup her face, his velvet voice pleading with her to wakeup. But the chill emanating from his touch only made it worse. In her nightmare she broke into a run, but found herself moving in the frustrating slow motion of dreamers.

Then suddenly the bedroom door was thrust open and flooded with light. Bella heard the comforting sound of Charlie's voice as sat down on the bed beside her and gathered her into his arms.

"It's okay, Bells. Just breathe for me, kiddo. Come on. You can do it."

Bella finally awoke, crying and gasping. She felt the panic begin like a cluster of spark plugs in her stomach. Tension grew in her face and limbs, her mind replaying the nightmare. Her breathing became more rapid, more shallow. Charlie's arms were still around her. He rocked her like she was a small child. He had become an expert at calming her down.

"Hush now. Your old man's here to keep you safe." He whispered soothingly. "No one can hurt you while I'm here."

"Daddy?" She mumbled, disorientated.

Charlie felt moisture flood his eyes. She hadn't called him daddy since she was six. She sounded so lost, so scared. He stroked the back of her hair, until the sound of her rapid breathing slowed enough so she could talk.

"You alright now?" He asked, pulling away enough so he could see her face.

"I'm sorry." Bella mumbled, feeling ashamed. Tears slid down her cheeks and she took a deep, gulping breath to try and contain the rest.

"Don't be sorry for that, kiddo." Charlie gave her a warm smile. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bella shook her head as she wiped her face with the back of her sleeve.

"Okay then, Bells. Do you think you can go back to sleep now?"

Bella glanced toward the window. The curtain moved slightly. She could envision Edward crouched on the topmost branch of the tree outside, restlessly waiting for Charlie to leave. If she sent her father away, then Edward would come back in. He would question her about the dream, not satisfied until he had pulled out every last detail about what had happened in it. Once he knew she had suffered another nightmare about the Volturi then would come the guilt. He would blame himself. She would then end up being the one to comfort him as she tried to stop his self condemnation.

"Bells." Charlie prompted as he looked at her worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Bella gazed at her father's kind face wearily. He was being such a sweetheart. He was such a good man. A good father. She didn't appreciate him enough. "I remember when I came to stay with you in the holidays when I was little. If I had trouble sleeping, you always made me a glass of warm milk and we would stay up and watch cartoons until I fell asleep."

"I didn't think you remembered that." Charlie said in surprise.

"I do." Bella used her fingers to wipe away the last of her tears. She had come to a decision as a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She didn't have the energy to deal with Edward's scrutiny right now. Suddenly she longed to be that little girl again, curled up on the sofa next to her strong daddy, drinking warm milk and watching silly cartoons. "I would really love a glass of warm milk now."

"Consider it done, kiddo." Charlie replied with a wistful smile.

* * *

The next morning dawned pearl gray and still. Just like she knew he would Edward asked about her dream. She did her best to brush him off, mumbling something about feeling cold, and that she was grateful for his attempts to comfort her, even though it was really Charlie who had been the one to do that. This seemed enough to satisfy him for once. He kissed her, long enough to set her pulse racing, and then headed home to change and get his car.

Bella was glad to have some time alone. She dressed quickly, just pulling on the first things that came out of her wardrobe. As she was about to head down to breakfast, she noticed her battered copy of Wuthering Heights lying open on the floor. She didn't remember reading it and could only presume that Edward had taken it to amuse himself while she was downstairs with Charlie watching old cartoons until she fell asleep. She picked it up and noticed that it had been bookmarked. Curiously she flipped it open to the last page he had read.

_'And there you see the distinction between our feelings: had he been in my place and I in his, though I hated him with a hatred that turned my life to gall, I would never have raised a hand to him. You may look incredulous, if you please! I would never have banished him from her society as long as she desired his. The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drank his blood!'_

Bella felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the she reread the last sentence aloud in her head. "The moment her regard ceased, I would have torn his heart out, and drank his blood!"

No, surely she was reading too much into this. This had nothing to do with Edward's feelings regarding Jacob. It was a coincidence that was all. And this page was probably not the one he'd been reading. The book could have fallen open to any page. Bella hastily shoved the offending book back on the shelf and fled downstairs to join Charlie for breakfast.

* * *

"I have foreseen..." Alice began in an ominous tone.

Edward threw an elbow toward her ribs, which she dodged neatly.

"Fine." She complained. "Edward is making me do this. But I did foresee you would be more difficult if I surprised you."

Bella felt her stomach flip. What was Alice planning now? They were walking to the car after school, and the feeling of dread built up with every step she took. "Just tell me, Alice."

"I don't want any tantrums."

"Alice!"

"Okay, calm down. I'll tell you. So you're-I mean we're-having a graduation party. It's no big thing. Nothing for you to freak out over. But I saw that you would freak out if I made it a surprise party-"

"What do you expect!" Bella cried in frustration. "Look what happened at the last surprise party you threw for me!"

There was a deathly silence as Edward shot her a pained look. Bella immediately went to apologise for upsetting him, but the words got stuck in her throat.

"Well I didn't predict that." Alice sighed and linked her arm through Edward's. "She didn't mean it, Edward. Did you?" She gave Bella an annoyed glance.

Bella shook her head, still too upset to speak.

"Well, now you know." Alice continued. "Edward said I had to tell you. But it's nothing. So, please, do not make it into a bigger deal than you already have."

"I'm sorry." Bella finally managed to say. "I just feel so stressed with graduation coming up in a few weeks. This will only add to it."

Alice frowned at her. "Bella, do you know what day it is?"

"Monday?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. It is Monday...the fourth." She grabbed Bella's elbow, spun her halfway around, and pointed to a big yellow poster taped to the gym door. There, in sharp black letters, was the date of graduation. One week from today.

"It's the fourth? Of June? It can't be." Bella said, getting distressed.

Neither one answered. Alice just shook her head sadly in disappointment, while Edward stared moodily ahead as they walked the rest of the way to his car.

* * *

Bella felt like someone had kicked her legs out from under her. The weeks of stress, of worry...somehow in the middle of all her obsessing over the time, the time had disappeared. The space she had for sorting through all her apprehension and fears, for making any plans, had vanished. She was out of time.

And she wasn't ready.

She curled up on the back seat of the Volvo, letting Alice ride up in front with Edward. They were talking to each other, speaking so rapidly that Bella couldn't understand what they were saying. They could have been talking about her strange reaction for all she knew.

It was all becoming much too much. A decision she had been so sure about only a few weeks ago was becoming less and less so. She didn't know how to do this. How to say goodbye to Charlie and Renee...to Jacob...to being human. The simple knowledge, today's date-which was so obvious that she must have been deliberately repressing it-made the deadline feel like a date with the firing squad.

She didn't remember the drive home, of the rain drumming on the wind shied, or Edward holding the car door for her as she got out, or even when he took the front door keys from her and helped her inside. Somewhere along the way he had dropped Alice off.

Still in a daze Edward led her toward the sofa and pulled her down next to him. She stared out of the window, into the liquid gray haze, and tried to find where her resolve had gone. Why was she panicking now? What had changed? She had known the deadline was coming? She had even risked telling Jacob about it. Why was she so frightened now it was here?

Edward put his cold hands on either side of her face and fixed his golden eyes on hers.

"Would you please tell me what you're thinking? Before I go mad?"

Bella blinked a few times to block out his dazzling beauty. She always had troubling thinking when he looked at her intently like that.

"Your lips are white. Talk, Bella." He demanded.

"You mean you can't even guess what I'm thinking?" She whispered.

Edward let out a gusty sigh. His face was tight with apprehension. "Is it about the party?"

Bella stared at his flawless face in disbelief. Here she was facing a matter of life and death and he thought she was anxious about the stupid graduation party! "No, but thanks for reminding me." She failed to hide her sarcasm.

The rain got louder as he tried to read her face.

"Is this about Victoria? I told you not to worry about that." He pressed his hands tightly to her face, forgetting himself for a moment.

Bella winced in pain and he abruptly let go, his expression turning horrified. "Bella, my love, I am so sorry. I-"

"Can you go?" Bella cut him off before he could drown in the sorrows of his own self-pity.

"We need to talk about this." He said, recovering his poise quicker than she anticipated.

"I don't want to talk about this with you." Bella closed her eyes as the anguish dripped from his eyes. She couldn't bear to see him so upset. "I'm tired from last night." She continued in a low murmur. "I need to catch up on some sleep. Okay."

"Okay, my love." Edward dared to touch her face again, this time his touch was feather light. "I'll let you sleep. Charlie will be back soon anyway. I'll see you in a few hours." Then his cool lips grazed her forehead in an affectionate kiss before he abruptly disappeared.

As soon as he was gone Bella was picking up the phone and calling Jacob.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Six-A Promise to the Volturi**

Though it was the middle of the afternoon, Bella's call woke Jacob up, and he was grouchy at first. But when she tentatively asked him if she could come over and visit for a couple hours, he cheered right up. The Quileute school was already out for the summer, which explained why he was using the opportunity to catch up on some sleep. Bella felt guilty disturbing him, and by the time she issued her fifth apology, Jacob was getting grouchy again.

"You don't need to apologise for breathing, Bells. Honestly!"

"Sorry."

"Bells!"

Oh, right." Bella giggled nervously. "I'll drive over now then."

"No way." Jacob was all business now. "I'll come and get you."

"I can drive myself." Bella protested but she knew it was in vain. Jacob was as committed to keeping her safe like Edward. She caved in and told him she would be waiting on the front porch for him.

For some reason she expected him to drive down from La Push, so when he loped out of the woods beside her house five minutes later, she nearly had a coronary. She would never get used to the way he moved so silently. He must have run all the way to Forks in his wolf form. Even though he smiled in greeting she could see the tiredness in his eyes and felt guilty all over again. She shouldn't be pushing her problems onto him when he had enough of his own.

"We could have done this another time."

"No, I want to spend time with you. It's not often the bloodsucker lets you out of his sight. Twice in one week is a miracle." Jacob's voice dragged as he spoke.

Bella wished she hadn't called him. She saw him struggle to stifle a yawn. His eyelids drooped and his face was drawn. His shaggy hair stuck out in random directions; it was almost to his chin in some places.

"Are you alright, Jake?" She asked in concern.

"Just tired." He managed to get out before he was overcome by another massive yawn. When he finished, he asked. "What do you want to do today?"

Bella eyed him for a minute. "Let's just hang out at your place for a while." She suggested. He didn't look like he could handle much more than that.

"Okay. Sounds good."

"And I drive the truck." Bella insisted.

"Sure, sure." Jacob didn't have the energy to fight her on that one. He followed her over to the truck and climbed into the passenger side. Almost as soon as Bella started the loud rumbling engine he had fallen asleep.

* * *

Jacob's house was vacant when they arrived. It felt strange without Billy there. He was always such a permanent fixture when she came to visit.

"Where's your dad?"

"Over at the Clearwaters. He's been hanging out there a lot since Harry died. Sue gets lonely."

Jacob sat down on the old couch and pulled Bella down with him. It was so small it was no bigger than a loveseat and she was practically forced to sit on his lap.

"That's good of your dad." Bella adjusted her position so she was sitting sideways to him. She threw her legs familiarly across his lap, crossing them at the ankle, and made herself comfortable. "Poor Sue, though."

"Yeah...she's been having some trouble." He hesitated."With her kids."

Bella felt the same familiar stab of guilt hit her right in the heart. By trouble Jacob meant that Sue had to deal with both her children turning into giant wolves and spending half their waking hours risking their lives as a consequence.

"It's got to be hard on Seth and Leah, losing their dad like that." Bella paused, her face flushing. "I saw Leah crying at the bonfire."

"I know." Jacob ran his fingers through his messy hair before grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels on the small TV. He yawned again.

"You're like a zombie, Jake. How much sleep have you been getting?" Bella asked gently.

"I got about two hours of sleep last night." He shrugged as if it was no big deal. He stretched his long arms slowly, before settling his left arm along the back of the sofa behind her. "I'm exhausted."

"Two hours?" Bella was horrified. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

Jacob made a face. "Oh, Sam's being difficult. He doesn't trust the Cullens. I've been running double shifts for two weeks and nobody's touched me yet, but he still doesn't buy it. So I'm on my own for now."

Bella knew that wasn't the complete truth. He was making excuses and putting partial blame on Sam in order to assuage her guilt. "You're running double shifts to watch out for me, aren't you? It's not that Sam doesn't trust the Cullens to look out for me. It's that you don't."

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Bells." He sighed, obviously annoyed that he had been caught out.

"Jake, you need to sleep." Bella persisted.

"Don't worry about me."

"I will always worry."

"Hey, it's the least I can do." Jacob offered her one of his sunny smiles to cheer her up. "I offered you eternal servitude, remember." He said referring to one of the old games they used to play. "I'm your slave for life."

"I don't want a slave!"

"What do you want, Bella?" He was suddenly more alert now. He had that look in his eyes again-that boundary testing look.

Bella lowered her gaze to her hands to avoid looking at him directly. "I want my friend Jacob-and I don't want him half dead, hurting himself in some misguided attempt to-"

"I can look after myself, Bells." Jacob retorted impatiently. "It would be nice if you had as much faith in me and the pack as you do your precious bloodsuckers."

Bella didn't answer. Instead, she turned to stare at the TV.

"Bells."

She didn't answer.

"Hey."

Still no response.

"Honey, please!"

She glanced at him, her eyes liquid with moisture. "I'm so scared, Jake. I couldn't bear the thought of you-" She couldn't finish.

"I'm sorry, Bella." Jacob was contrite. He reached out and tugged on a lock of her hair. "I don't want to argue. Let's change the subject instead. So, any special plans for next week? You're graduating. Wow. That's big." His voice turned flat as he realised the significance of what he had just said. He looked toward Bella, waiting for her to remind him once again that her mind was already made up when he saw the blood drain from her face. "Are you okay?" He asked slowly.

"No _special_ plans." Bella said carefully.

Just the thought of graduation was making her feel sick. Her stomach twisted into knots, made worse by the mirroring look on Jacob's face. He didn't just look tired anymore. His face, already drawn, looked downright haggard as his eyes closed again-not in exhaustion but in denial. It hit her like a freight train. There was another reason behind why he wasn't sleeping properly, her graduation had a horrible significance for him since her recent confession. She wasn't the only one having nightmares. In her selfishness she had pushed him into one.

Bella sucked in a deep breath to stop the tears from falling. He didn't need to her about her qualms. She had tortured him enough with her back and forth. "Alice is throwing a graduation party and I'm the guest of honour." She said quickly to try and cover up the tremor in her voice. "Alice loves parties, and she's invited the whole town to her place for the night. It's going to be-"

"A bloodbath." He cut in sourly. He sighed and abruptly changed his tone when he saw the hurt flash in her beautiful brown eyes. He hated being the cause of her pain. "I didn't get an invitation to bloodsucker central. I'm hurt."

Bella smiled at him gratefully. He was trying so hard for her sake. "Consider yourself invited. It's supposed to be my party, so I can ask who I want. And it will be better if you're there." She tagged on at the end knowing it was true. It wouldn't be so much like torture if he had him to lean on.

"Thanks." His eyes began to slip closed again as exhaustion prevailed. Soon he was snorting softly.

Bella sighed and studied his dreaming face. He was so handsome. Beautiful really. While he slept, all the defensiveness and bitterness disappeared and suddenly he was the boy she used to know before the supernatural turned their lives upside down. He looked so much younger. So much like her Jacob. When he was awake he was more the pack's Jacob.

While he slept Bella settled for watching a cookery show. The female chef was doing amazing things with simple pasta, and she watched with interest, wondering if she should try the same recipe for Charlie's dinner. As time went on Bella felt more relaxed, almost sleepy, too. The Black's house had become like a sanctuary over the past few months until Edward returned. She felt much safer here than in her own, probably because no one had ever come looking for her here. She curled more into Jacob's side, letting his insane heat wrap around her like a comforting blanket.

Bella felt her mind drifting. Finals were done, and most of them had been easy, with Edward's private tutoring there was no way she could fail. Her high school education was over. The thought of it petrified her. She tried to look at it objectively, tied up as it was with her human life being over. If she was thinking practically then it made sense for Carlisle to change her the second she made it through the graduation line. With Victoria and the Volturi breathing down her neck she was backed into a corner. Circumstance had taken away her ability to choose. As soon as she stepped on that plane bound for Italy her future was set. The same sickness from before began to well in her gut. She panicked, her breathing becoming erratic at the thought of what was to come.

Her mini-meltdown disturbed Jacob. He rolled to the side, his arm swinging off the back of the couch and pinning Bella against his body. She gasped in surprise when she felt him-_all of him_. Like always, his torso was bare and he was only wearing a pair of cut off denim shorts. He was definitely going commando underneath if what was pressed against her belly through the thin denim was anything to go by. Her face flushed and soon she was sweltering from more than just the heat coming off his body.

She tried to slide out from under his arm, but that just made their bodies rub together in confusing ways. Her nerve endings were on fire as she reluctantly shoved him, and when his arm fell off her, his eyes snapped open. He jumped to his feet, looking around anxiously for any sign of an intruder.

"Shit! What the hell happened?" He asked, disorientated.

"Nothing. It's just me, Jake. I'm sorry I woke you."

Jacob turned to look down at Bella's flushed face. Her skin was practically crimson. "Bells? Did I fall asleep?"

"For a while."

"Damn." Jacob flopped back onto the couch beside her. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Bella cleared her throat awkwardly and began to pat at his hair, trying to smooth the wild disarray with her fingers as a distraction. "I'm glad you got some sleep."

"I'm not." Jacob fussed. "I don't want to waste my time with you sleeping." He grabbed her hand and pulled her up with him. "Come on, let's go outside. I need to walk around or I'll pass out again."

"Jake, go back to sleep. I'm good. I'll call Charlie to come and get me. I'm sure he's finished work by now."

"No." Jacob insisted. "Stay. You hardly ever make it down. I can't believe I wasted all this time."

He pulled her out of the house with him, ducking his head as he passed under the doorframe. It had gotten much cooler outside. It felt more like February than May.

The cold air seemed to make Jacob more alert. He paced back and forth in front of the house, towing Bella along with him.

"I had a whole big speech planned. I was going to tell you at the bonfire but then we both fell asleep." He muttered.

"It's not your fault."

"I wanted to do this properly." Jacob met her eyes for a second, and then looked quickly toward the trees. There was a faint tinge of red to his cheeks.

"Are you blushing?" Bella asked in astonishment.

"No way, Bells." Jacob said impatiently, but the faint redness was still there. He shook his head as if to clear it before taking a deep breath. "I was planning on doing this a bit differently. I've been practising in my head for days until the guys got sick of hearing it and told me to knock it off."

"Oh, the pack mind." Bella said in understanding. "So what did you want to say?"

"You already know it but I'm just gonna say it out loud anyway so there is no confusion." Jacob planted his feet steadily and took both of her hands in his own. "I'm in love with you, Bells. And I want you to pick me instead of him. I know that you have feelings for me, too, no matter how many times you deny it, but I need the truth out there so that you know you have options."

Bella looked up at his earnest face. Her own suppressed emotions came bubbling to the surface at his romantic declaration. He had just announced that he loved her and all she could do was stare at like an idiot.

As he watched her dumbfounded expression, the seriousness left his face. "At least you're not denying it. Or punching me in the face."

"I'd probably break my hand if I tried." Bella felt liquid tears fill her eyes. "Jake, I-"

"Look, I'm not expecting an answer right now. Just promise me you'll think about what I've said." His voice softened as he reached out to stroke the tips of his fingers across her right cheek. "Will you do that for me?"

"I can't promise anything." Bella whispered forlornly. There was no way she could tell him that changing her mind was no longer an option. If Victoria didn't kill her the Volturi would. So she did what she always did. She lied. "I love him, Jacob. He's my whole life."

A frustrated light lit up his dark eyes. "That's bullshit. You can't fool me, Bells. If that were true you'd put some conviction in your voice. He's not your whole life. Not anymore. Maybe he was once, but he left. And now he's just going to have to deal with the consequences of that choice-me."

"Jake, you're impossible." Bella said through clenched teeth.

Jacob took her chin in his hand, holding it so firmly so that she couldn't look away from his intense gaze. "You love me, too. Until your heart stops beating, I'm going to fight for you."

"There's no point in fighting." Bella said dully. "You've already lost."

"Don't say that!"

"It's true."

"Why?" Jacob demanded hotly.

"Because of the promise I made to the Volturi. The only reason we escaped from Italy at all was on the premise that I be changed." Bella yelled in despair.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Seven-A Distraction**

Once Bella started talking she couldn't stop. Jacob listened in horrified silence as she finally told him about her frightening experiences within the confines of the Volturi castle in Italy. By the time she reached the part about the deaths of the innocent tourists she was sobbing so much that she was barely coherent.

"Every night when I close my eyes I relive that part again. I can hear their tortured screams. I want to save them...but I can't...I can't..."

"That's the cause of your nightmares? God, Bells." Jacob placed his warm hands on either side of her face and used his fingers to wipe away the floods of tears falling from her eyes. His simple touch sent a wave of butterflies coursing through her veins, their fluttering wings easing the dread that had settled inside her.

Bella leaned in and slipped her arms around his waist. Just being close to him was soothing. When he was around he took her pain and made it manageable, creating a person capable of recovering with his gentle words of support and encouragement. With his arms wrapped around her she felt stronger, safer.

"I can't believe you were holding all this inside. No wonder it was coming out in your dreams. I'm going to keep you safe, Bella. I promise. We'll get through this together. You just need to trust me, okay." Jacob scooped her up into his arms, her unhappiness and despair had chased away his exhaustion. Her head lay limp on his shoulder as he carried her back into the house and closed the door on the darkening night.

* * *

A few hours later they emerged into the dark night. It was still raining. Bella felt drained but more at peace. It was like confiding in Jacob had lanced the wound, spilling out all the badness inside so she could finally begin to heal. Jacob walked Bella to the passenger side of the truck and helped her inside. She flashed him a grateful smile as he closed the door and jogged around to the driver's side.

"I wish I didn't have to leave this place." Bella said wistfully as the truck rumbled to life.

"It's going to be okay, Bells. I promised I'd keep you safe and I meant it." Jacob reached for her cold hand and wrapped it in his warm one. "One hundred and eight degrees over here." He teased her gently.

The familiar refrain lifted Bella's spirits and she slid across the bench seat and curled up against his side. It didn't take long before she was toasty warm. Jacob drove slowly, keeping the truck well below fifty. Rain spattered the windscreen, the wipers instantly clearing it with one swift sweep of the glass.

"I've spent so long avoiding thinking about my future. With Victoria and the Volturi threat hanging over me there didn't seem to be any point." Bella sighed.

Jacob slowed the truck to a crawl., turning to stare at her with his dark eyes wide and earnest. "You have a bright future ahead of you, Bells. Just think about how it could be." He urged in a soft, eager voice. "You wouldn't have to change anything for me. You know Charlie would be happy if we got together. I can protect you just as well as any vampire can-maybe better. And I would make you so happy, Bells. I promise."

Bella wanted to believe him. She really did. But talking about how terrifying her experiences with the Volturi had been, were nothing compared with being faced with them in reality. Jacob may think he was indestructible, but he wasn't. There was no way she was going to place him or anyone else she loved in danger again. She knew she wouldn't survive it if he got hurt, or worse, because of her selfish change of heart to remain human. There had to be another way to achieve her goal without putting him or the wolf pack at risk.

"Bells, honey, I know what you're thinking." Jacob sighed, and started driving at a normal speed. "You want to push me away because you're worried about me getting involved and putting myself at risk. Just like you make your choices. I make mine."

God, he knew her so well. Bella took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing with him; his mind was set. She saw through the gloom that they had reached her road already. It was only then that she noticed the silver Volvo parked a few meters down the road.

"Fuck, I should have known he would be here." Jacob cussed quietly under his breath.

"Jake, you can't think about what I told you about the Volturi. Edward-" Bella warned him.

"I know. The leech can read my mind." Jacob cut in quickly. "Believe it or not I'm getting good at masking my real thoughts."

"I didn't know that." Bella said, impressed. "How?"

"Practice." Jacob smiled grimly. "When you've got seven other voices in your head you learn to shut them out real quickly, otherwise you'd never get any privacy."

"Wow." Bella whispered.

"You know, Bells. It might actually be good idea to provide a distraction just to be on the safe side." Jacob suggested. "When I'm finished the leech will be too wound up to delve inside my head. And it will take the heat off you and onto me."

"What are you planning?" Bella asked worriedly.

Jacob was grinning, a malicious glint in his dark eyes. "Just follow my lead, honey." He said as he climbed out of the truck.

A squeal of tires interrupted their conversation. The silver Volvo swung around in a graceful arc before ending up beside the truck. Edward was out of the car and in Jacob's face before Bella could comprehend what was happening.

"What happened?" He demanded, his voice going flat.

"I kissed her." Jacob growled.

Edward glared viciously at Jacob, his hands curling in to fists at his sides. "How dare you lay one finger on her." He seethed.

The commotion outside reached Charlie inside the house. The front door opened and he appeared on the front porch. Jacob's expression remained nonchalant as he stared Edward down.

"What's going on here?" Charlie demanded as he hurried over to the two boys. "I don't want any fighting, do you understand?" Charlie looked at Edward when he spoke. "I can get my badge if that makes my request more official."

"That won't be necessary." Edward said in a restrained tone.

Bella had to admire Jacob's tenacity. He really had caused a kerfuffle. His lie that he had kissed her had proved the perfect distraction. It had taken the heat off her and Edward's sole focus was on his rival instead. She decided to enter into the spirit of things.

"Why don't you arrest me, Dad?" She suggested. "I'm the one throwing punches."

Charlie raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Who did you hit?" His gaze travelled straight to Edward, a hopeful light in his eyes.

"I hit Jacob." Bella pretended to jab him, making Jacob laugh.

"What on earth for?" Charlie was incredulous.

"He kissed her, Chief Swan." Edward said darkly.

"With or without her permission?" This time the police's chief's laser like stare was entirely focused on Jacob.

"Um...I think the fact that she punched me answers that question, Charlie." Jacob gave the older man an incorrigible grin which Charlie failed to return.

"Dad, don't you have a baseball bat somewhere in your room? I want to borrow it for a minute." Bella piped up again.

Charlie looked at her evenly, his jaw pulsing. "Enough, Bella. Get inside. And you, too." He ordered Jacob as he gave him a stinging slap across the back of his head.

"Ow!" Jacob pretended to be hurt as he stumbled a few paces toward the house.

Edward stepped after Jacob. He paused in front of him, and when he spoke his voice was so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. "I'm not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella."

Jacob looked at him impassively.

Edward turned slightly to throw Bella a quick reassuring smile. His face registered calm even though she knew he was fuming inside. Then he turned back to Jacob. "If you ever dare lay a hand on her again, or if she hurts herself-and I don't care whose fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her on the head-if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?"

"You talk about Bella as if she's some kind of object and not a person." Jacob retorted in a low voice. "Don't you dare threaten me!"

"I SAID GET INSIDE!" Charlie roared as he came up behind them. He shoved Jacob toward the house while he gave Edward a disapproving stare. "AND YOU GET OFF HOME."

"Chief Swan, I would like to stay with Bella if that's okay. She's clearly distressed and-"

"I said go home, boy!" Charlie snapped impatiently. "I'm her father. And I will deal with it." His steely glare followed Edward all the way to his pretentious car. It was only when he was satisfied that Edward was leaving that he followed Jacob and Bella into the house.

* * *

"You better start explaining yourself, son." Charlie thundered as soon as he shut the door.

"I kissed Bella..." Jacob began, still wearing the same incorrigible grin.

Charlie began to scowl.

"I kissed Bella on the...cheek."

Charlie's scowl disappeared and he looked so bewildered that Jacob and Bella cut up laughing. "All this fuss over a kiss on the cheek?"

"It was a sloppy kiss." Bella giggled. "I had to wipe all the gloop off my skin. He deserved the jab in the arm." She playfully punched Jacob on the shoulder.

"You're like a couple of kids." Charlie grumbled. "I'm going back to watch the rest of the game."

When Charlie disappeared into the front room in a fit of pique, Jacob and Bella's brief respite of hilarity faded as the seriousness of the situation descended on them once again. Jacob stroked her face with the tips of his fingers, leaving a trail of warmth behind. "I better go. I'm due on patrol. You'll be okay?"

"Yeah." Bella said, leaning against him. "Thanks for distracting Edward. Although I wasn't quite expecting that. I'll tell him what you told Charlie the next time I see him." Which would be sooner rather than later. As soon as she went to bed she knew he would climb through her window. "Please try and get some rest, Jake. Promise me."

"As long as you promise to have faith that I can protect you, honey." Jacob said earnestly. He didn't give her a chance to respond before his lips brushed her forehead. "G'night, Bells."

"Night, Jake." Bella watched him leave with a heavy heart. She touched the place on her forehead where he had kissed her. The skin was still tingling as if he had left his mark.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Eight-Graduation Looms**

As Edward helped Bella carefully out of the Volvo Emmett's booming laughter was the first thing to greet her. "I heard you punched a werewolf, Bella."

Bella sighed heavily as she noticed Edward shoot Emmet a fierce glare. "I've already explained." She directed her answer toward Emmet. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Not the way Eddie boy described it." Emmet said slyly. "He was about to rip your wolfy friend a new one."

"He'd have no chance." Rosalie's sarcastic reply from under the car startled Bella as Edward led her past them. "I predict that Jasper will win the bet." She ended smugly.

Emmet's laughter stopped abruptly as he glanced down at his beautiful mate. Even covered in grease Rosalie was stunning. She pushed herself out from under the expensive vehicle she was working on and rose gracefully to her feet. "Now you've done it, Emmet."

"What bet?" Bella demanded as she glanced at Edward's disapproving stare.

"It's nothing, Bella. Ignore them. They are being childish."

"Tell me what bet!" Bella insisted, not willing to be placated like a child.

"Thanks Rosalie. Thanks Emmet." Edward muttered as he tightened his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her toward the house.

"Edward..." Bella complained. "Tell me."

"It's infantile." He shrugged irritably. "Emmet and Jasper like to gamble."

"For goodness sake if you won't tell me. I'll go back and demand that Emmet does. I know he will." Bella tried to turn and go back, but Edward's arm was like iron around her.

"If you must know they're betting on how many times you...slip up in the first year. Jasper thinks that your first target might even be your wolfy friend." He replied sardonically.

Bella's face paled and her hands started to shake. She was having difficulty hiding her horror as the full import of what that meant sunk in. "They have a bet on how many people I'll kill? And they think that I would hurt Jacob? That's sick and twisted."

"That's why I didn't want to tell you." He reminded her. "Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper's favour."

Bella could feel the cage holding her future closing in around her like a steel trap. The fear was like a lead weight in her stomach. She felt sickened by the Cullens blasé attitude toward killing people. She couldn't believe they were making a joke about it. Or even worse placing bets that she would hurt Jacob.

Edward didn't seem to notice her preoccupation as he kept on talking. "It will make Jasper feel better if you have a hard time adjusting when you change. He's tired of being the weakest link."

Nausea welled in Bella's throat as she stumbled by Edward's side. "Sure. Of course it will. I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides, it if makes Jasper happy." She cried hysterically. "Why not? I mean it's only peoples' lives we're talking about here."

In her head she was seeing newspaper headlines, lists of names. She closed her eyes in despair as the screams from the innocent tourists in her nightmares resounded in her head.

"Bella, are you feeling well?" Edward asked in concern. "You look faint. Let me take you to Carlisle." He squeezed her gently around the waist, before pulling her faster toward the house.

* * *

Bella sat docilely while Carlisle examined her. Jasper's stories about newly created vampires went around and around in her head. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it since he explained his past. Now the stories came into sharp focus with the news of his and Emmet's wager. She wondered randomly what they were betting. What sick prize was a motivating factor when you already had everything?

Once she had been so adamant about being changed. She had dreamed once it was done she would be as strong as Edward. Strong and fast and, most of all, beautiful. Someone who could stand next to Edward and feel like she belonged there.

God, she sounded so vain and pathetic. As if perfect beauty was a big enough prize for spending eternity fighting the urge to kill and drink human blood. She had been trying not to think too much about the other things that were part of being a vampire. Wild, bloodthirsty. Maybe she would not be able to stop herself from killing people. Strangers, people who had never done her any harm. People like the growing numbers in Seattle which was the lead story on every local news channel, in ever paper. They'd had families. They'd had friends and futures. They'd had lives. And now they had been taken. And she could be the monster who took that away from them.

It was only lately that she had begun to really think about how toxic her obsession with Edward and his vampire life had become. It was like she had been living in a drug fuelled haze for the past eighteen months. The nightmarish images of the innocent tourists in Volterra being led to their slaughter had brought the consequences of her obsession into sharp focus. If she did change, she could be exactly like the images of the crazed newborns that Jasper had painted in her head. She would be no better than any of the vampires in Volterra. Worse, maybe, because she had chosen willingly to become one of them.

"You had a panic attack, Bella. It's nothing to worry about." Carlisle's voice was as soothing as ever. "I can give you a mild sedative if you like. It will help you to sleep."

"Yes." Bella found herself agreeing absently. "Thank you."

She would take anything to knock her out for a few hours and banish the horrors from her head.

* * *

"I don't care what I wear." Bella said dully to Alice who was leaning casually beside the open window.

"Well somebody has to." Alice threw a flat, white box onto the bed. "I saw you pulling on an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt." She clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Admit it. I'm a lifesaver."

"You're a lifesaver." Bella replied automatically. "Thanks."

"Well I'm glad you approve for a change. You've been very tetchy lately, Bella. Everyone has noticed it. Nothing seems to please you at all."

"Sorry." Bella muttered.

"You don't know how irritating it is. Edward has the patience of a saint. It's hard for me you know." Alice complained.

"Of course it is."

"You can keep the sarcasm, Bella." Alice continued petulantly. "You don't know how irritating it is-missing things the way I have been lately. It's worse when the dogs are sniffing about. Apart from their appalling smell they block me from seeing anything."

"Don't call them that." Bella snapped, angered by Alice's derogatory terms for the wolf pack. "They are putting their lives on the line to help us."

"See tetchy." Alice pouted. "I feel so useless when I can't see things, Bella. I would hope you would be at least a little sympathetic. It's bad enough I missed your annoying thief-"

"Huh?"

"The one who broke in and stole your clothes. Wake up, Bella."

"Oh, yeah." Bella mumbled.

Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You keep zoning out a lot lately." She huffed. "Now I just have to figure out what I'm not seeing in Seattle. Are you not going to open that box?"

She sighed and danced over to the bed. Tugging the top off the box herself, she pulled out a pretty blue dress with a sweetheart neckline. There was a jacket to match. "It's pretty don't you think? I picked blue, because I know its Edward's favourite on you. Bella? Bella, are you even listening?"

Bella was somewhere else completely. She was frowning, her eyes far away, her brow wrinkled as if she was trying to work out a difficult maths problem. As soon as the thought entered her head, Alice saw it too. The little psychic dropped the dress back into the box and zoomed over to Bella.

"You think the two situations are connected." She said in alarm.

"Yes." Bella agreed faintly. It was so obvious now that she wondered why none of the others had seen it. "The one who broke in and stole my things, and the new vampires in Seattle. They're working together."

"Be quiet and let me think." Alice murmured as her eye glazed over. She froze, and was still for so long that Bella wanted to scream. She didn't move for two minutes straight. Then her eyes gradually refocused on Bella. "You're right. Of course you're right. I can't believe Edward got it so wrong. It was a test." She continued in a hollow tone. "A test to see if it would work. If he could get in and out safely as long as he didn't do anything I would be watching out for. Like trying to kill you...And he didn't take your things to prove he had found you. He stole your scent... so that others could."

Bella's eyes were wide with shock. Her emotions were all over the place as she processed the fact that someone had created an army of vampires-the army that had gruesomely murdered dozens of people in Seattle-for the express purpose of f destroying her. The thought that all of the deaths in Seattle was on her head made Bella feel sick. Her head reeled and she had to sit down on the bed otherwise she would have toppled to the floor.

Alice began to pace. "I can't believe this." She said through gritted teeth. "I can't believe I didn't see it."

"You weren't looking out for it." Bella reminded her tiredly.

There was a thud on the door. Bella drew in a pained breath as Charlie called through the door. "Are you ready yet, Bells?"

Bella had completely forgotten about Charlie. Tears pricked her eyes and she tried to blink them away. She had to get it together or he would start asking awkward questions.

"Come on, Bella. We're gonna be late!" Charlie complained through the locked door. He was impatient to be gone. He hated dressing up for special occasions as much as his daughter did.

"I'm coming." Bella cried hoarsely.

He was quiet for half a second. "Bells, are you crying?" He said in a softer tone.

"No." She tried to compose her voice but failed.

"Are you sure?" Charlie checked.

"I'm just nervous, Dad."

"Okay. You better hurry."

Bella heard him clump down the stairs. She turned to find Alice halfway out of the window. "I better go." She whispered. "I need to talk to the others."

Bella felt sick at heart as she finally made the effort to get dressed. She knew that Alice would do her best to keep the information from Edward until after the graduation ceremony. He would go berserk when he found out and she wasn't looking forward to it. She left her room in a daze, not even bothering to run a comb through her thick locks. Who cared what she looked like when she had a blood thirsty vampire army hot on her trail?

"You look nice." Charlie said gruffly as she descended the stairs.

"Yeah. Thanks." Bella made the effort to smile.

"Oh, I have a surprise for you, Bells." Charlie responded with a secretive smile.

"You didn't need to get me anything." Bella protested.

Charlie brushed her protests to one side as he called out. "You can come out now, guys."

Bella was astonished to see Billy roll his chair out of the front room. He was dressed in a pale blue suit with an open necked white shirt. "Hey, Bella. You didn't think we'd miss your big day?" He said with dark eyes twinkling with mirth.

Hot on Billy's heels was Jacob. He strolled casually toward Bella, laughing as she stood gaping up at him. He was dressed up for the occasion, too. He had on a white button down shirt, the sleeves already rolled up to the elbows. He had teamed the shirt with a smart pair of black jeans. She was staring at him as if she didn't believe he was real. It wasn't until he spoke her name that she came to life. With a quiet sob she gave up on holding it together and flung herself into his arms, crying all over him.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Nine-The Graduation Ceremony**

"It's nerves." Charlie whispered in an aside to Billy.

"Yeah." Billy agreed sombrely. There was no way that the heightened emotion that Bella was displaying could be explained away as nerves. But if that explanation put Charlie's mind at ease then so much the better. It would stop him asking awkward questions, which was the last thing poor Bella needed right now.

"I'm sorry." Bella's voice was muffled against Jacob's shoulder. "Oh no! I've ruined your shirt." She moaned when she pulled away and saw the damp patch she had left behind.

"Don't worry about it, Bells." Jacob brushed her concerns aside as he held her face in his warm hands. "Are you alright now?" He examined her carefully, looking for any further signs of distress, but she was more composed now and managed to smile through her tears. "The thought of standing in front of all those people is stressful, huh?"

"Yeah." Bella said faintly. "You know me too well."

Jacob knew her emotional breakdown had nothing to do with being the centre of attention. He hid his own worry behind a bland smile so as not to alert Charlie that anything was wrong. He wished they were alone so they could talk properly, but that was impossible for the moment, especially when Edward arrived a few minutes later. The atmosphere turned frosty when Cullen made his appearance and Jacob noticed that Bella was struggling to keep up a calm facade. But since they were all riding in the cruiser with Charlie, everyone had to maintain a false politeness.

Charlie was obviously pissed at having Edward in the car with them. Jacob wasn't enjoying the close proximity, either. He was squashed in the back of the cruiser, with Bella wedged between him and Cullen, while Billy sat in the front passenger seat. The leech's god awful smell was making him nauseous. He had to open the window just to breathe some fresh air. He remembered Bella telling him that Edward had been insistent on her riding with him to the ceremony, but Charlie had gotten stubborn and insisted that he was going to drive her. It had always been his intention to invite Billy and Jacob along, but Edward had still managed to wangle his way in by playing on Bella's guilt.

Bella was in a daze. She felt like she had gone back in time and was in the cinema again watching that god awful action movie 'Face Punch.' But instead of being caught in the middle of Jacob and Mike, it was now Jacob and Edward. The differences in their temperatures had never been more acute. She was cold on one side and toasty warm on the other. She watched as Charlie scowled every time he stole a glance at Edward in the rear view mirror. Which almost certainly meant that he was imagining things that would get him in trouble if he said them out loud. Edward kept his feelings hidden behind an emotionless mask, making him look more like a statue than ever.

Bella kept her hands clasped together in her lap. Edward had tried to hold her hand when he slipped into the seat beside her, but she kept it firmly out of his reach. There was no way she was going to hold it with Jacob sitting on her other side.

It was an agonising journey and seemed to go on forever. She only managed to survive it because Jacob was there. She felt the slight pressure of his leg against hers, and knew he was doing it deliberately to let her know he understood the turmoil she was going through. Occasionally she would catch his eye and he would give her an encouraging smile, letting her know in his own quiet way that he had her back.

"Are you alright?" Edward whispered when they reached the parking lot and he helped her out of the car. "I can't believe Jacob Black has the audacity to be here."

"Dad invited Jake and Billy..." Bella began.

"I know." Edward cut in before she could give any further explanation. "His thoughts are particularly loud at the moment. It's like he's practically shouting them at me." His expression turned disapproving.

"I wanted Jake here. I'm glad he came." Bella could feel her frustration at Edward building. He was being deliberately rude knowing full well that Jacob was capable of hearing every word coming out of his mouth.

"I can see you're nervous." Edward's face softened as he traced a finger along the curve of her jaw, making her shiver. "Don't be. You are so beautiful."

Bella didn't have a chance to respond. Jacob, in an obvious manoeuvre that was less then subtle, shrugged in between them and put his arm around Bella's shoulders. She immediately sank against his side, drinking in his soothing warmth and comforting presence. He knew she was on the verge of falling apart and had deliberately come to her rescue.

"Are you excited?" He asked loud enough so Charlie and Billy could hear.

Bella saw her father turn around and smile in approval when he saw her anchored to Jacob's side with Edward being forced to trail behind them. He leaned down and whispered something to Billy, who he was pushing in front of him. Bella could feel Edward's icy stare boring into her back, but she made no move to push Jacob's arm away from her.

"Bells?" Jacob prompted her when she didn't answer straight away.

"Not really." She admitted with a weary sigh. "I'm glad you're here, though."

"Bella, this is a big deal." Charlie butted in after overhearing their conversation. "You're graduating from high school. It's the real world for you now. College. Maybe one day living on your own...You're not my little girl anymore." Charlie choked up at the end.

Bella's eyes filled with tears but for a different reason. She felt Jacob squeeze her gently in understanding and she looked up at him gratefully. Talk of the future was just something she couldn't cope with right now. "Dad, don't get all weepy on me." She mumbled.

"Who's weepy?" Charlie growled when he heard Billy chuckle quietly. "Now, why aren't you more excited?"

"I don't know, Dad. I guess it hasn't hit me yet or something."

"It's good that Alice is throwing this party. It will perk you up, Bella." Edward piped up.

Three pairs of eyes turned to look his way, each of them hostile. He ignored them and kept his gaze focused on Bella. She swallowed thickly and lowered her eyes to the floor. "Sure. A party's exactly what I need."

Edward frowned at her sarcastic tone while Jacob laughed and squeezed her shoulders. Charlie and Billy joined in, riling Edward further. He looked up at the clouds, his face thunderous.

When they reached the back door of the gym, Jacob, Charlie and Billy were forced to leave them. Bella felt bereft when Jacob's soothing warmth was taken away to be replaced with cold. Edward's arm was tight around her waist as he led her into the gym. It was pandemonium as Ms. Cope from the front office and Mr. Varner the math teacher tried to line everybody up alphabetically.

"Up front, Cullen." Mr. Varner barked at Edward.

Edward looked at the teacher irritably before leaning down to kiss Bella quickly. "I'll miss you." He murmured close to her ear before reluctantly taking his place with the C's.

Bella looked around for Alice. The little psychic wasn't there. Bella wondered if she was going to skip graduation completely in order to avoid Edward reading her mind.

"Down here, Bella." Jessica Stanley called to her.

Bella smiled nervously in response, feeling completely exposed as she walked down the line to take her place behind her. As she got closer she saw Angela five people back. She waved at her friend and smiled. Angela waved back.

"Can you believe it's all over." Jessica gushed. She began to drone on and on forcing Bella to zone out.

The line began to move. Bella shrugged on her robe. Suddenly time sped up after dragging for so long. It went so quickly, like the fast forward button had been hit. Bella began to perspire. She tripped on the end of her robe as everyone in front began to surge forward. Eric was giving the valedictorian speech. He seemed to be speed talking in his nervousness and Bella missed everything he said. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other instead to stop herself stumbling again. The principal started calling names, one after the other, so fast it was like he was refusing to draw breath. The front row of the gymnasium was rushing to catch up. Poor Ms. Cope panicked as she tried to give the principal the right diploma to hand to the right student

Then out of the corner of her eye Bella saw Alice whirl onto the stage to take hers. She was wearing a look of deep concentration. Edward followed behind, his expression disdainful, as if he felt he was above all this human nonsense. Bella shrank out of sight. Only the two of them could carry off the hideous yellow and still look the way they did, their beauty and grace otherworldly. She suddenly felt ungainly and ugly in comparison.

Bella heard her name called. She rose from her chair, waiting for the line in front of her to move. She was conscious of cheering in the back of the gym, and she looked around to see Jacob pulling Charlie to his feet, both of them hooting in encouragement. She could just make out the top of Billy's head beside Jacob's elbow. Focusing on them in a sea of other faces Bella finally felt able to move forward and accept her diploma.

"Congratulations, Ms. Swan." The principal mumbled as he pressed the diploma into her hand.

"Thanks." Bella stumbled forward, her eyes still locked on Jacob. He was smiling at her proudly, gazing at her as if she was the most beautiful girl in the room. She went to stand next to Jessica, standing taller, straighter, encouraged by the pride on his face.

The principal said something Bella didn't hear, and everyone around her shouted and screamed. Yellow hats rained down. Bella saw Edward winding his way toward her, but someone else got there first. Jacob's warm arms scooped her up into a bear hug, swinging her around, laughing. Her hat fell off as she clung to Jacob's wide shoulders, her smile as euphoric as his.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Ten-Getting the Party Started**

When Jacob finally set Bella down on her feet she was immediately lifted off them again by Charlie. "Congratulations, kiddo!" He swung Bella around again making her feel dizzy.

Over his shoulder Bella could see Jacob kneeling next to his father's chair sharing a hurried conversation. Billy had a cell phone pressed to his other ear and occasionally spoke into it in short rapid bursts. Something was clearly going on. Her head was reeling when Charlie finally put her down.

"Jacob and Billy have got to take off, Bells." He told her when she had regained her composure.

"Why?" Bella felt suddenly bereft as she stared in their direction. Jacob was pushing Billy's chair ahead of him as he tried to negotiate his way through the crowds. He turned and threw her an apologetic look over his shoulder before he eventually got swallowed up by the sheer number of people swarming around.

"Sue's having some trouble. So Billy and Jake have gone to help out." Charlie told her.

Bella knew this was just an excuse. The only reason that Jacob and Billy would have made a hasty retreat from her graduation was because they had been called away on pack business. It must have been Sam on the phone telling Billy he needed Jacob home ASAP. Anxiety made her head ache abominably and she leaned on Charlie for support.

"You tired, Bells?"

"A bit." Bella tried to smile but it came out more as a grimace. She could see Edward approaching her now and he looked far from pleased.

"Congratulations." Edward said formerly, his arms winding territorially around her waist. His voice was subdued; not happy that he had been essentially pushed aside while she celebrated with her father and Jacob.

"Um, thanks. Same to you." Bella gave him a nervous smile. She was still fretting about the reason why Jacob and Billy had to leave so abruptly. Did it have something to do with Victoria?

"You look nervous." Edward noted. "I thought you would be over them by now."

"She's tired." Charlie interjected sharply. He was none too happy to see Edward's arms wrapped around his daughter.

Edward gave Charlie a disarming smile, which only succeeded in infuriating the police chief further. "There's nothing to worry about." He said to Bella. "You've got the party to look forward to."

"Yeah." Bella agreed faintly as Charlie rolled his eyes.

"I'm heading off now, kiddo." He said. "Are you ready to go?"

"Bella's coming home with me and my family." Edward cut in smoothly. "She's going to help set things up."

Charlie scowled. "You didn't mention that, Bells." He muttered.

_"I didn't know."_ Bella thought miserably in her head. "I forgot to tell you." She said aloud. "I'm sorry, Dad."

"Fine. I had arranged for us all to have dinner at the Lodge but I can cancel now you've made other plans." Charlie was obviously hurt which only compounded Bella's guilt. He had probably thought they would spend more time together because of the special occasion. "Have fun." He muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you when you get home."

Bella watched him go with a heavy heart. Edward's hold on her tightened as his eyes flashed down to her face. "Your father will forgive you."

"I hate upsetting him."

"He'll get over it." Edward turned her around in his arms, forcing her to face him directly. His eyes were narrowed with suspicion. "I want to know why Alice was translating the Battle Hymn of the Republic into Arabic in her head. What is going on?"

Bella felt her stomach twist into knots. "Maybe she was trying to cover up her nerves."

"Or keep me out of her head." Edward accused. "When she finished that, she moved onto Korean sign language. You know what she's hiding from me."

Bella frowned, feeling her own irritation beginning to rise. "It's not very nice being the one kept in the dark, is it." She said pointedly.

Hurt flashed in his eyes. "I only ever kept things from you in order to protect you."

That old excuse didn't work on her anymore. Being kept out of the loop only served to increase her stress, not lessen it. "Knowing Alice." She whispered in a rush. "She'll probably try to keep this from you until after the party. But since I'm all for the party being cancelled-well, I'll tell you, okay."

Edward began to steer her through the throng of people still celebrating around them. His face was hard, his mouth set in a grim line. "Tell me."

In a low voice Bella began to explain. "You were wrong about things coming at us from all sides. It's coming mostly at us from one side...it's coming at me, really. It's all connected. It has to be. It's one person messing with Alice's visions. The stranger in my room was a test, to see if someone could get around her. It's got to be the same one who keeps changing their mind, and the newborns, and stealing my clothes-all of it goes together. My scent is for them."

Edward's face was horrified as the full import of what she was saying sank in. Bella was regretting her hasty decision to tell him. Alice had been right to keep her thoughts shrouded. She should have waited until they were with the rest of his family or something, but his attitude had really ticked her off.

"I can't believe I didn't see it." He pulled her tightly against his chest. One cool hand found her chin, and pulled her face up so he could press his hard lips onto hers. Bella could feel the tension in his jaw as she waited for the kiss to end. "Come on, we need to leave." He said, taking her hand instead.

* * *

When Edward helped her out of the car he pulled her to him and kissed her again. His lips crushed hers, stealing her breath and making her go limp in his arms from lack of oxygen. He chuckled as he held her against his hard body, clearly pleased with his kissing prowess. "It's nice to know I can still affect you." He murmured.

Bella was too winded to reply. She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her racing heart. "Let's just get this stupid party over with." She puffed eventually when she had finally regained the ability to talk.

Edward put his hands on either side of her face. "Try and enjoy yourself. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not worried about myself-"

"Why am I not surprised by that?" Edward cut in before she had a chance to finish her sentence. He took a deep breath, and then he smiled slightly. "Ready to celebrate?" He asked.

Bella just stared at him. What she had been going to say was she was not worried about herself, but worried about those who were getting caught in the crossfire-like Jacob and his pack, Charlie and all the other innocents living in and around Forks and La Push.

Edward's arm was like an anchor at her waist as he held the door open for her and steered her inside the house. Bella was stunned for a minute as she slowly looked around. The interior of the Cullens home had been transformed into a nightclub-the kind that didn't often exist in real life-only on TV.

"Edward!" Alice trilled from behind a gigantic speaker. "I need your advice." She gestured toward a towering stack of CD's. "Should we give them familiar and comforting? Or-" She gestured to a different pile. "Or educate their taste in music?"

"Keep it comforting." Edward advised.

Alice nodded seriously. She had already changed from her formal wear into a sequinned tank top and red leather pants. Her eyes were on Bella, assessing her outfit. "I think you are underdressed."

"I'm fine." Bella protested.

"I have just the outfit." Alice chirped as she danced to Bella's side. "Excuse us, Edward, while I kidnap your lady love and dress her in something more appropriate."

"Go ahead." Edward laughed at his adopted sibling's antics. "I need to talk to Carlisle and Jasper anyway."

"What about?" Bella tried to ask, but Alice was already dragging her away.

* * *

Bella felt uneasy in the black sequinned tank top and black leather pants that Alice had dressed her in. The outfit was almost an exact replica of Alice's. "We're like sisters." The little psychic had cooed as arm in arm they swept down the spiral staircase to greet the first visitors.

It seemed like everyone had arrived at once. Carlisle, wearing a perfect smile, genuine and warm, greeted each visitor personally like the dutiful host he was. Esme, a vision in blue, stood by his side like a Stepford wife. Alice had turned the volume of the music up, and then danced toward the door to help greet the latest stream of guests.

Everyone was curious about the Cullens. Bella saw her friends from school at the door. Jessica came in first, with Mike right behind her. Angela, Ben, Tyler, Connor, Eric...even Lauren trailing in last, her critical eyes alight with curiosity. They were all curious and overwhelmed as they took in the huge room decked out like a chic rave. All the Cullens acted their parts to perfection, ready to put on their usual perfect human charade.

Behind her bland smile Bella was panicking. She was forced to talk to everyone as Edward and Alice paraded her around like some plastic Barbie doll. Edward was her Ken. She tried to concentrate on remaining upbeat. Though the party had been billed as a joint event, she was proving the most popular target for congratulations and thanks. Maybe it was everyone's morbid curiosity as to why anyone as dazzling as the Cullens appeared to be would bother with someone quite so ordinary as Bella. She so clearly didn't fit into their world.

The party was a clear success, despite the instinctive edginess that people naturally felt around the Cullens. The atmosphere was electric. The music was infectious, the lights almost hypnotic. From the way the food disappeared, that must have been good too. Bella had secretly stashed away a huge pile, intent on saving it for Jacob if he ever did turn up. She had asked him to come, but wasn't sure if he was just being sarcastic when he agreed.

Bella was forced to follow Alice's lead, mingling and chatting for a minute with everyone. Most people seemed easy to please. She was sure this party was way cooler than anything the town of Forks had experienced before. Alice was almost purring with satisfaction. She was totally in her element. No one here would forget this night.

As they circled the room for the hundredth time Bella saw Alice stiffen. Her eyes glazed over. Suddenly she felt Edward by her side. He steered Bella to a darkened corner. "Please, stay here." He pleaded as he disappeared in Alice's direction.

Frustrated that she was being kept out of the loop again, Bella followed after him. But she was too slow and he was soon out of sight. The doorbell rang just then. Bella looked toward the door with a puzzled expression. Alice materialised into view again. "Who invited the werewolf?" She whispered irritably.

Bella's heart lifted with unrestrained joy at the mention of werewolf. "That would be me." She said, practically singing.

"Hey, Bella!"

Jacob's deep voice kick started her heart into a steady rhythm. Bella spun around, flinging her arms around him and squeezing him tight. He laughed, lifting her up into a familiar bear hug.

"Someone's pleased to see me." He quipped.

"You came!" Bella squealed in delight. Over his shoulder she noticed that Quil and Embry were flanking him on either side. "Hey, guys." She yelled at them above the loud music.

Quil and Embry, who up until that point looked terribly tense, relaxed somewhat as they smiled in her direction. She was still wrapped around Jacob, he was using his arm to prop her up as he carried her through the gaping crowd of onlookers.

"You know how to make an entrance." Bella whispered teasingly in his ear.

"I think you did that when you swooned into my arms, honey." Jacob whispered back, grinning.

"I think maybe you should put me down now." Bella had finally noticed Alice's disapproving glare. There was no sign of Edward, thankfully.

"Sure, sure." Jacob reluctantly set her down on her feet. He took Bella's hand and began to steer her toward the shadows. He nodded at Quil and Embry, who immediately melted into the crowd.

"Jake, what's going on?" Bella asked anxiously as she studied his handsome face. "Why did you have to leave so abruptly? Is it Victoria?"

"No. Just pack business. I will tell you. But not right now. I have something to give you. Can we go outside for a while? The vamp stench is setting my teeth on edge." Jacob wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"We'll go to the summerhouse." Bella decided. "It will be quiet there."

"Lead the way, Bells." Jacob gifted her with one of his special smiles as she took his hand and towed him in the direction of the palatial gardens.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the awesome reviews!**_

**Part Eleven-Holding His Heart**

It was cool inside the summerhouse. It was far enough away from the Cullens main residence that it almost seemed like a separate property. With its gabled roof and white washed walls, it looked more like a little cottage than a traditional summerhouse. The sounds of the party-which was still in full swing-were muted, giving the summerhouse an aura of privacy.

"You said you had something to give me?" Bella said shyly. She folded her arms across her chest to create a barrier between them. She was feeling nervous and couldn't explain why.

"Um...yeah." Jacob cleared his throat awkwardly. Normally so confident, he appeared as nervous as Bella. He was staring at the floor, hiding his eyes.

Bella was surprised to see him so edgy. It made her more curious than ever at what he had to show her. She leaned forward, peering up, trying to look into his eyes. He looked up then, over her head, avoiding her gaze.

"Jake?"

He swallowed thickly and a faint blush was noticeable on his cheeks. It made him look utterly adorable.

"Hey, where's my present?" Bella prompted him gently. Seeing him so agitated emboldened her. She held out her hand toward him.

"Okay." Jacob took a deep breath as if he was gearing up to run a marathon or something. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small bag of loose woven, multi-coloured fabric. It was tied shut with leather drawstrings. He set it on Bella's palm.

"That is so lovely, Jake." Bella gushed.

Jacob tried not to laugh. "The present is inside, Bells."

"Oh, silly me." Bella opened the ties of the bag and turned it upside down and shook something gold into her hand. Metal links clinked quietly against each other.

"The necklace was my mother's. I made the charm." Jacob admitted huskily. The deep emotion reflected on his face and in his voice was obvious when he mentioned his mother. He rarely talked about Sarah. So Bella knew what a big deal this was for him.

Fastened to one of the links on the gold chain was a tiny wooden carving of a heart. Bella held it between her fingers to look at it more closer. It was amazing the amount of detail involved in the little pendant-the miniature heart had her name inscribed on it in delicate writing. It was even carved out of some red brown wood that matched the colour of his skin.

"It's so beautiful." Bella whispered in awe. "You made this? How?"

Jacob shrugged. "It's something Billy taught me. He's better at it than I am."

"I doubt that. Jake, this is exquisite." Bella felt choked up with emotion. No one had ever given her such a personal gift before. She kept turning the tiny heart around and around in her fingers.

"Do you really like it?"

Bella couldn't even believe he felt the need to ask. Her reaction should have given him all the reassurance he needed. It seemed his nerves were overriding his usual easy confidence.

"Jake, I love it! It's unbelievable!"

Jacob smiled, happily at first, but then his expression turned serious. "You hold my heart, Bella. I couldn't give you the real thing. So I figured this was the next best thing."

"Aw, Jake." Bella burst into tears. Jacob looked pained for a minute until she reassured him they were happy tears. "I just love it so much." She sobbed. "Can you put it on for me?"

"You'll wear it?" He still sounded so unsure.

"Of course I will. I'm never going to take it off." Bella vowed.

Jacob grinned at her-it was a happy smile that she loved to see him wear. She returned it for a moment as she held up her hair, giving him easier access to fasten the gold chain around her neck. He fastened the catch easily, though it looked too delicate for his big fingers to manage.

"I wish I had a mirror to see. What do you think?" She asked, giving him a coy smile.

"It looks perfect. Just like you."

Jacob's hand reached for her face. Bella's gaze slid to the side as she instinctively leaned into his touch. The electricity between them was practically humming in the air. He pulled her against his chest. His nose skimmed her ear. Bella let out a tiny gasp at the intimate way his other hand settled on her lower back. He leaned down, his warm breath tickling her skin. His soft lips brushed her slender neck and Bella's eyes opened wide in response to the tingles the feather light kiss left behind. She summoned enough courage to meet his gaze. Jacob's dark eyes twinkled with amusement. He knew exactly what he was doing!

There was a soft thud on the door. Jacob frowned as Bella let out a small cry of surprise. "It's just Quil and Embry." He assured her.

"Have they been keeping watch this whole time?" Bella asked in surprise.

"Yeah." Jacob reluctantly let her go.

There was another thud on the door. "Jake." It was Embry. "Cullen's on his way over here, dude."

"We're coming." Jacob didn't bother to hide his exasperation. "Jeez, can't the leech leave you alone for one second?"

Bella hardly heard him. She suddenly remembered what had happened with Alice and Edward before Jacob had arrived and distracted her. She chewed on her lower lip, trembling a little. Jacob, as always so attuned to her moods, looked at her carefully.

"What's going on?"

"It's nothing." Bella lied, trying to concentrate.

"Bells, you suck at lying." Jacob chided her gently. "Something's going on, isn't it?"

"Jake, I...no, there's nothing...I don't know."

"I thought we were past all this keeping secrets from each other." Jacob demanded. "You should tell me."

Bella knew he was probably right; the wolves would certainly be interested in what was happening. Only she wasn't sure what that was yet. "Jacob, I will tell you. Just let me figure out what's going on, okay? I need to talk to Alice."

"You think the psychic saw something."

"Yes, just when you showed up."

"Is this about the bloodsucker in your room?" Jacob asked, tensing slightly.

"It's related."

Jacob processed that for a minute, leaning his head to one side while he read her face. "It's something big, isn't it." He reached out and gently held the small heart pendant in the palm of his hand. His expression was thoughtful.

Bella knew there was no point in lying to him. And besides she didn't want to anymore. She felt less scared when she was with him. "Yes."

The door opened and Quil and Embry tumbled inside. Jacob turned and caught his back brothers' eyes where they stood in the entry, awkward and uncomfortable. When they took in his expression, they moved agilely toward him. In a few seconds, they stood on either side of Jacob, towering over Bella.

"Please explain, Bella." Jacob encouraged her gently.

Embry and Quil looked back and forth between their faces, confused and wary.

Bella knew that it wouldn't be long before Edward intruded on their privacy. Lowering her voice to almost a whisper she told Jacob as much as she knew.

* * *

Just as Bella was coming to the end of her explanation Edward appeared in the doorway. His white skin looked sickly in the subdued light.

"Edward!" Bella felt her throat tighten at the furious expression on his face.

Edward immediately walked straight over to Bella, scowling when Jacob, Quil and Embry quickly surrounded her like three bodyguards. "Come with me, Bella." He said curtly.

"You have no right to order her around." Jacob growled.

"This is none of your business, Black." Edward spat in frustration.

Jacob folded his arms across his chest, his actions mirrored by Embry and Quil. Their stance was menacing. Edward's scowl deepened. Before he had a chance to issue a retort Alice materialised behind him. Her face was full of stress and fear.

"This is no time for a pissing contest." She said in a high falsetto.

"Tell us what's going on." Jacob demanded coldly.

Alice stared up at him, her eyes wide and incredulous. "Excuse me?"

"Alice, please." Bella carefully squeezed her way to the front of the boys and looked at the little psychic pleadingly. "They already know most of it."

"You told them?" Alice squealed in surprise.

"Of course I did. I tell Jake everything. He had a right to know. They all do." Bella ignored the hurt look that flashed across Edward's face at her confession. "What did you see, Alice?"

"The decision has been made."

"You're going to Seattle?"

"No."

Bella felt the colour drain out of her face. Her stomach lurched and she leaned against Jacob for support much to Edward's chagrin. "They're coming here?" She choked out.

Bella saw the three Quileute boys exchange worried glances. Jacob's hand on her lower back was the only thing keeping Bella upright.

"Yes, they're coming." Alice confirmed.

"To Forks?" Bella whispered.

"Yes."

"For me?"

Alice nodded. "One of them carried your red shirt."

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twelve-Plans**

Edward's expression was furious. It was clear he didn't like discussing anything in front of the werewolves, especially one in particular. His steely gaze rested on Jacob as he spoke. "We can't let them come that far. There aren't enough of us to protect the town."

"I know." Alice whispered, her face desolate. "But it doesn't matter where we stop them. There still won't be enough of us, and some of them will come here to search."

Bella felt faint. This was like a nightmare. Danger was coming to Forks and it was all her fault. "I have to...to...I have to get away from here."

Jacob's hand left her lower back and he wound his arm around her shoulder instead, pressing her into his side protectively. Edward snarled in protest and Jacob growled in response.

"For goodness sake!" Alice snapped as she grabbed hold of Edward's arm and yanked him away from Jacob. "Acting like that won't help." She sighed and looked toward Bella. "And you leaving won't help, either. It's not like we're dealing with a tracker like James. They'll still come looking here first."

"Then use me as bait. I'll go to meet them." Bella cried hysterically. "If they find what they're looking for, maybe they'll go away and not hurt anyone else!"

"Bella!" Edward protested, his voice tight with strain. "Don't even dare suggest such a thing!"

"Hold on." Jacob ordered in a low, forceful voice. "You need to explain yourself better. What exactly is coming?"

Edward turned his icy gaze on him. "Our kind. Lots of them."

"Why?"

"For Bella. That's all we know."

"And there are too many for you to handle?"

Edward bridled at this comment. "We have a few advantages, dog. It will be an even fight."

Embry and Quil surged forward at Edward's derogatory insult, but one word from Jacob stopped them in their tracks. He exchanged one long look with each of his best friends and they silently backed down.

"Always so hot tempered." Edward muttered.

"Be quiet, Edward." Alice's eyes were shining. Her eyes flitted to Jacob, who was now wearing a fierce half smile. "Excellent!"

Bella froze as she looked between Jacob and Alice. Alice's face was alive with exultation, all the despair wiped clean from her perfect features. She grinned at Jacob and he stared coolly back at her, still wearing the strange half smile.

"Everything just disappeared of course." Alice said in a smug voice. "But, all things considered, I'll take it."

Bella was beginning to have an inkling of what was going on. She shook her head at Jacob but he ignored her and kept his focus on Alice instead. "We'll have to co-ordinate." He said. "It won't be easy for us. Still, this is our job more than yours."

"I wouldn't go that far, but we need the help. We aren't going to be picky. Even I can put up with your appalling smell for something as serious as this."

"Likewise, Pixie." Jacob sneered.

"Wait, wait, wait." Bella interrupted them. She noticed Edward's sour expression out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't happy with Alice negotiating on their behalf. He glared at his adopted sister, silently fuming. Bella raised her head to look up at Jacob and shook her head at him. "I won't let you put yourself in danger. I won't."

"I'm sorry, Bells, but you didn't honestly think you were going to keep us out of this?" Jacob asked, his tone softening when he saw how anxious she was.

"You are staying out of this!" Bella demanded, she almost stamped her foot in frustration. Tears pricked at her eyes and she exhaled deeply to calm herself down. "I won't have you risking your life, or any of the pack's lives on my behalf."

"Your psychic doesn't think so."

"Alice-tell them no!" Bella insisted. "I won't have any of them getting hurt!"

Quil and Embry exchanged an amused glance, snickering quietly until with one stern look from Jacob they fell silent again.

"Bella." Alice said, her voice soothing, placating as if she was speaking to an especially ignorant child. "Separately we all could get killed. Together-"

"Edward-you can't agree with this?" Bella demanded. She was getting angry now, her fear for Jacob and the wolves safety overriding her usual nerves. "Say something!"

Edward maintained his silence. He was glaring in Jacob's direction, his expression sour.

"Oh my god! You do agree. I can't believe that you would dare risk their lives to sort out a problem that you created in the first place!" She screamed at him.

There was a deathly silence. Bella was openly sobbing now. Edward's face had crumbled under the onslaught of her unexpected accusation. Alice was staring at Bella like she didn't recognise her. Maybe she didn't. None of the Cullens had seen her act this way before. She was usually so timid and compliant around them, except for the occasional protest, she always ended up doing what they expected of her.

Bella's reaction wasn't such a surprise to Jacob or his friends, though. She felt Jacob's large hand cup the back of her head as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Honey, how many times have I told you this is what I do. I can handle myself. We all can." He rubbed her back with gentle strokes from his fingers as she continued to sob against him.

"I'm sorry. I'm...s...scared." Bella whispered hoarsely.

"I know." Jacob continued to soothe her until she had calmed down enough to focus. All the while Edward was forced to stand and look miserably in Bella's direction while his rival consoled her instead of him. Finally, Jacob spoke again. He kept the conversation aimed at Alice. "How many?"

"It changes-twenty one today, but the numbers are going down." Alice sighed.

"Why?" Jacob asked, curious.

"Isn't it obvious, dog." Edward interjected sarcastically. "These are bloodthirsty newborns we are talking about. They are probably killing each other."

"Edward, this isn't the place for it." Alice scolded him.

Edward scowled at her but fell silent again.

"Later tonight?" Jacob directed his question to Alice.

"Yes." Alice confirmed. "Jasper was already set on planning a strategic meeting. If you're going to fight with us, you'll need some instruction."

Embry and Quil pulled a disgruntled face at this suggestion, but another commanding look from Jacob made them settle down again. Bella noted that this wasn't the first time that Jacob had managed to control his friends with a stern look or a commanding tone. She saw that Edward was shooting daggers at him, too. His eyes were crinkled at the corners, his mouth taut, an expression she recognised often when he struggled to read what she was thinking. Bella suddenly wondered if he was struggling to read Jacob now. How odd?

Jacob reluctantly let go of Bella. "I've got to go and let Sam know what's been decided." He told her.

Bella gazed up at him, a battle of worry and curiosity were waging war on her face. His comment that he was going to let Sam know what had been decided wasn't lost on her. Sam was supposed to be the Alpha. Not Jacob. But it was Jacob who seemed to be making the decisions. He had been the one to come to the party, accompanied by his trusted wingmen, Embry and Quil. He was the one negotiating with the Cullens which should have been Sam's role. Bella glanced at Alice and Edward to see if they had picked up on this odd role reversal, but they seemed to be too preoccupied to notice.

"What time shall we meet?" Alice asked.

"Three o'clock." Jacob replied promptly.

"Fine." Alice agreed. "Meet us about ten miles due north of the Hoh Forest ranger station. Come at it from the west and you'll be able to follow our scent in."

"We'll be there."

"Please, be careful, Jake." Bella pleaded with him.

"I always am. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I'll catch up with you soon, Bells." He wrapped her in a quick hug as Embry and Quil waited impatiently at the door.

Bella was bereft when the hug was over. All she could do was watch helplessly as Jacob disappeared with the others.

* * *

It had to be the longest party in the history of the world. Bella was exhausted when it was over. Once Jacob was out of the way Edward glued himself to her side for the rest of the night. He had done his best to soothe her frazzled nerves, but his attempts only made her more on edge.

She was glad when it was time to leave. Alice had patted her on the head like a small child, eyeing Jasper meaningfully until a flood of peace swirled around her. For the first time she relaxed and Edward practically glowed as if he was the source and not Alice's gifted mate. Esme kissed her forehead, promising Bella that everything was alright. Emmet just laughed boisterously until Rosalie snapped at him to be quiet. Jacob's solution had the whole coven relaxed, except for the beautiful blonde who looked preoccupied as she bid Bella goodnight.

Once she out from under Jasper's influence, all of Bella's worries and fears resurfaced. It was bad enough that the Cullens were risking themselves to fight for her. But not Jacob, too. Not his brothers-most of whom were younger than she was. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. Her nerves felt frayed and exposed. She snapped at Edward when he told her to relax, and the rest of the journey home was made in brooding silence.

Before he dropped her off Bella demanded that he take her with him when he went to meet the wolves. "Bella, you're worn out."

"You think I can sleep?"

He frowned, his whole posture radiating disapproval at her sharp tone. "This is an experiment. I'm not sure if it will be possible for us all to...cooperate. I don't want you in the middle of that."

"Then you better control yourself." Bella retorted.

"You know I was talking about the wolves." Edward responded angrily.

"If you won't take me, then I'll call Jacob." Bella threatened.

Edward's eyes tightened at her low blow. "You are becoming very manipulative, Bella. It seems like Jacob Black is rubbing off on you. You still smell of him." His nose wrinkled in distaste. "I am trying to be patient with you, but you continue to test me by throwing your friendship with him in my face. You are still wearing that necklace he gave you."

"And I'm not taking it off." Bella fumbled with the door handle in her haste to escape. She heard a soft sigh from Edward as he leaned across her and smoothly opened the door.

"See you upstairs." He muttered.

Bella didn't answer as she climbed out of the car. The front light was on in the house. She tiptoed in the front door. She found Charlie asleep in the living room, overflowing on the too small sofa, and snoring so loudly it hurt her ears. The empty beer bottles lying on the floor were an obvious reason why.

Guilty tears pricked at her eyes as she began to gather them up. Her father had been so upset at her refusal to spend dinner with him that it had driven him to drink. After she dumped the bottles in the recycling, Bella returned to the living room and shook Charlie's shoulder vigorously.

"Dad!"

He grumbled, eyes still closed.

"I'm home now-you're gonna hurt your back sleeping like that. C'mon, time to move."

It took a few shakes as his eyes slowly opened. He stared at her blearily. "I jush wanted ta spend time with my little girl." He slurred.

"I'm sorry, Dad." Bella apologised. "I really am. I'll make it up to you."

It took some effort to get him off the sofa, but eventually she helped him to bed, where he collapsed on top of the covers, fully dressed, mumbling. "Luv ya, Bells."

"I love you, too." Bella whispered sadly as she snapped off the light and shut his bedroom door.

* * *

Edward tucked Bella's quilt around her like she was a small child. He then lay beside her and held her close. "Please relax."

"Impossible."

"This is going to work, Bella. I can feel it."

Bella's teeth locked together. He may be confident but she wasn't. She was the only one who cared if Jacob and his friends got hurt. She now realised that Edward only saw the wolf pack as a means to an end.

"Are you still angry with me?" Edward asked eventually.

"Yes."

"Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They don't know the werewolves exist. I've seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves' hunting techniques will work against them. They will be divided and confused."

Bella closed her eyes and blocked him out. She heard him sigh again before he hummed the lullaby he had written for her. It didn't calm her like it used to. Instead she lay in agonising silence until falling into an uneasy sleep.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Thirteen-The Wolves**

Bella awoke from her nightmare to find a cold hand covering her mouth to stifle her screams. She tensed, staring wide eyed with fear, her breaths coming sharp and quick.

"I'm sorry, love." Edward apologised as he quickly took his hand away. "If you had screamed you would have awoken Charlie. You were having a nightmare." His smooth brow furrowed in concern as he scrutinised her carefully. "Are you sure you don't want to stay and sleep?"

Recovering her composure, Bella shook her head.

Edward sighed heavily, and scooped her up into his arms before he jumped nimbly from the window.

He raced through the black, quiet forest with Bella on his back. She could feel the elation coming from him. There weren't many things that Edward confessed to enjoying as a vampire, but running fast through the woods, with the wind in his hair, the sheer exultation and adrenaline rush he got from the speed always lightened his mood.

When they got to the big open field, the rest of the Cullens were already there, talking casually, seemingly relaxed. Rosalie was the only one who looked tense. Emmett's booming laughter made her irritable and she snapped at him to be quiet. Edward set Bella down and he took her hand as they walked toward the others.

It took Bella a minute, because it was so dark with the moon hidden behind the clouds, but she realised they were in the baseball clearing. It was the same place where, more than a year ago, that first light hearted evening with the Cullens had been interrupted by James. Being there brought up a whole host of bad memories for Bella. She glanced at Edward, wondering why he didn't have the foresight to at least warn her that this was the meeting place. He couldn't be that callous, could he? Or maybe he was just so oblivious to her feelings that he didn't think it was necessary to mention. As she stared at his perfect profile she got the feeling it was the latter. He had simply not factored in her feelings at all.

Bella shuddered as she strained her eyes trying to pierce through the gloom. She kept expecting James, Laurent and Victoria to appear out of the darkness. She had to remind herself that James and Laurent were never coming back. Bella's thoughts turned to Victoria. The red head had always seemed like a force of nature to her-like a hurricane moving toward the coast in a straight line-unavoidable, implacable, but predictable. Bella was beginning to think they had underestimated the fiery redhead. Maybe it was wrong to limit her that way. She had to be capable of adaptation.

"Edward, I think we've missed the point." She whispered.

"You've lost me." Edward looked at her as if she were a wayward child. She could see the same expression on all of the Cullens faces, apart from Rosalie, who still looked tense.

Bella forced herself to shrug off her irritation with them and forged ahead. "I think it's all connected. Not just the two, but all three."

"She's losing it." Emmett chuckled.

"Shut up!" Rosalie hissed at him. "Let her speak."

All of the Cullens turned toward Rosalie. She stared them all down imperiously, flipping her vibrant blonde hair over her shoulder as she did so.

Bella cleared her throat to gain their attention again. "Three bad things have happened since you came back." She said directly to Edward. A pained expression crossed his face when she mentioned this, but she ignored his hurt feelings and carried on anyway. "The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And-first of all-Victoria came to look for me."

Edward's eyes narrowed as he thought about it. "Why do you think so?"

Bella took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. Did he really not make the connection? Did none of them? She looked over at Rosalie and saw that the ravishing blonde was smiling.

"Give him a chance to catch up, Bella. He's always been a little slow on the uptake." She sneered.

"Rose." Esme chided her gently. "That's not very nice."

Edward scowled in Rosalie's direction before turning back to face Bella. "Please, explain."

"The Volturi love their rules. They would probably do a better job anyway. And I'd be dead if they wanted me dead." She noticed Edward flinch when she said that. "Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?"

"He made a bad job of that, too." Rosalie cut in bitingly.

"Rose, please keep the sarcastic comments to yourself." Carlisle reprimanded. "They are petty and uncalled for."

Edward ignored Rosalie and remained focused on Bella. "I remember."

"Alice said you were in Texas. Did you follow Victoria there?"

His eyebrows pulled together. "Yes... I still don't see where you are going with this."

"The girl is telling you that the wicked witch could have gotten the idea to create the newborns there, dimwit. But she doesn't know what she's doing, so the newborns are out of control." Rosalie interjected impatiently.

"Stop interfering, Rosalie." Edward lost his cool and glared at the haughty blonde. "Only Aro knows exactly how Alice's vision works."

Rosalie muttered something insulting under her breath. "We all know that the great Aro would know best." She drawled sardonically. "But wouldn't Tanya and Irina and the rest of the Denali clan know enough? Laurent lived with them for so long. And if he was friendly enough with Victoria to send him on a fools mission to check on Bella, why wouldn't he also tell her everything he knew?"

"Thank you, Rose." Bella smiled with relief that someone actually got what she was trying to say.

"You're welcome." Rosalie replied with a wry smile of her own.

Edward frowned deeply as the cogs turned slowly in his head. "It wasn't Victoria in your room."

"For fu...god's sake, Edward. Are you telling me she can't make new friends?" Bella felt her temper building. "Think about it. If it is Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's _made_ a lot of new friends. She created them."

Edward considered it, his forehead creased in concentration. "It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely...But your theory-there's something there."

"Hallelujah." Rosalie sniped in the background.

"ROSALIE!" Carlisle reprimanded her again.

"What do you think, Carlisle?" Edward turned to his mentor for advice.

"I think Bella's theory suits her personality perfectly. She's shown a remarkable gift for self preservation from the start-maybe it's a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact," he continued, thinking it through, "if there were survivors, I'd bet she'd be planning on destroying them herself. Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh born newborn left your father alive, Bella." He smiled benignly in Bella's direction. "You're very perceptive. It's very impressive, my dear."

"You mean impressive coming from a weak, useless human who can barely walk across a flat surface without falling flat on her face?" Bella retorted.

"Bella, that is not what Carlisle means and that is most certainly not what anyone else here thinks, either." Edward rebuked her.

"Maybe not everyone." Bella conceded. "But you do. So does Jasper and Emmett. And most definitely Rose."

"Of course I do." Rosalie agreed with a teasing smile.

"Enough now." Even Carlisle's endless patience was running out now at the endless sniping.

"The wolves are coming." Alice spoke for the first time. She stood to one side watching her mate, Jasper, limber up as if gearing up for a fight. "I can't see anything now they're here." She grumbled.

"When will our guests arrive?" Carlisle asked Edward.

Bella watched Edward concentrate hard for a minute. "They are about a minute and a half away. But I'm going to have to translate. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms."

"Did you expect anything else?" Bella mumbled.

Carlisle sighed. "This is hard for them. I'm grateful they're coming at all."

A strange gleam came into Edward's eyes. "Prepare yourselves-it seems they've been holding out on us."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked sharply. "Jake would never lie to me about anything."

"Maybe he's not as honest and trustworthy as you think he is." Edward replied just as harshly. "Now be quiet so I can concentrate."

Bella fought the urge to smack him. She would only end breaking her hand, but the satisfaction may have outweighed the pain. Instead she squinted into the darkness.

"Damn." Emmett muttered, in awe of something for once. "Did you ever see anything like it."

"The pack has grown." Edward said aloud.

Bella already knew that Quil had joined the pack. But her weak eyes took longer to see what everyone else had see already seen. Something glittered in the darkness-their eyes, higher up then they should be. Somehow she had forgotten how very tall the wolves were. Like horses, only thick with muscle and fur-and teeth like knives. Useful for ripping a vampire's head off.

She strained to see more. As she scanned along the line of glittering eyes, it occurred to her that there were more than six pairs facing them. She began to count the pairs of eyes until she reached ten. Even counting twice didn't change that number. There were definitely ten of them.

Jacob hadn't mentioned any new additions other than Quil. Bitter disappointment made Bella's stomach twist in knots. Jacob hadn't felt able to trust her with the truth and that hurt. She kept her feelings hidden as she watched Carlisle step forward and greet the wolves.

* * *

Bella sat alone on a little hill as she watched the Cullens engage in mock fights. The wolves stayed on the other side of the clearing, keeping to the shadows as they kept their eyes trained on the Cullens, absorbing their every move with intelligent eyes. If the pack had a question for them Edward translated, while Jasper demonstrated.

As time wore on it got more difficult for Bella's eyes to follow the vampires frenzied movements. She could hardly see the pack, though she had been staring in their direction for ages, hoping to pick out Jacob among them. Her eyes got heavier and heavier. Then suddenly Edward was by her side again, patting her arm. "The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents-so they don't make mistakes later. They'll be coming into view now, so I think it might be a good idea if you kept further away just in case. I don't want you to be frightened by them. They can be intimidating."

"I've already seen them, remember." Bella reminded him irritably.

Edward's eyes were tight as he looked at her. "But you haven't seen so many all at once."

"I'll be fine. I'm staying here."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn!" Edward complained.

There was a gloomy, throaty rumble from the wolf pack as they all rose to their feet. Bella's eyes, now wide and fully alert again, stared into the darkness.

The deep black of the night was just beginning to fade-the sun brightening the clouds, though it hadn't cleared the horizon yet, far away on the other side of the mountains. As they approached, it was suddenly possible to make out shapes...colours.

Sam was in the lead. Unbelievably huge, his fur black as midnight. Now that she could see them all, match the vastness with each pair of eyes, it looked more than ten. The pack was overwhelming. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edward watching her, carefully evaluating her reaction. It suddenly occurred to her that he was secretly hoping she was going to be scared by the wolves. She scowled at him and he had the grace to look away.

Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail. Sam sniffed at Carlisle, seeming to wince slightly as he did. To him the vampires stench must be appalling. Then he moved on to Jasper.

Bella's eyes moved down the wary brace of wolves. She was sure she could pick out the new additions. There was a light gray wolf that was much smaller than the others, the hackles on his back raised in distaste. There was another, the colour of desert sand, who seemed gangly and uncoordinated against the rest. A low whine broke through the sandy wolf's control when Sam's advance left him isolated between Carlisle and Jasper. Bella felt sorry for him and immediately rose to her feet to go and comfort him.

"Hey, it's okay." She said fearlessly as she approached him. She heard the surprised gasps coming from the Cullens as well as Edward frantically warning her to keep away. She stubbornly ignored them. Instead, with one hand outstretched, she gently touched the sandy wolf's muzzle and whispered. "You'll be fine. I promise."

The sandy wolf whined again, but he seemed more at ease. Bella smiled and patted him gently before stepping back. As she did so the one wolf she had been hoping to see finally made his appearance. Just behind Sam, his fur reddish-brown and longer than the others, almost shaggy in comparison, stood Jacob. He was taller than Sam now, the largest in the group. His stance was casual, exuding nonchalance over what the rest considered an ordeal.

Bella folded her arms across her chest and stared at him hard. Her foot began to tap impatiently on the ground. The enormous russet-coloured wolf seemed to feel her annoyed gaze, and he looked up at her with familiar black eyes. His muzzle fell open, pulling back over his teeth in an approximation of a wolfy grin.

Bella giggled despite herself.

Jacob's grin widened over his sharp teeth. He left his place in the line, ignoring the eyes of his pack as they followed him. He trotted past Edward and Alice to stand not two feet away from her. He stopped there, his gaze briefly flickering toward Edward.

Edward stood motionless, a statue, his eyes still assessing Bella carefully.

Jacob crouched down on his front legs and dropped his head so that his face was no higher than Bella's, staring at her, measuring her response carefully.

"I am angry at you." She whisper yelled at him. "Why didn't you tell me about the others?"

The answering rumble deep in his chest sounded like a chuckle.

"You are such an ass." Bella found herself smiling again. "I get it I suppose. I'll let this go, just this once."

She reached her hand out, her fingers trembling slightly, and touched the red brown fur on the side of his face. The black eyes closed, and Jacob leaned his huge head into her hand. A thrumming hum resonated in his throat. The fur was both soft and rough under her wandering fingers. She ran them further along his coat, learning the texture, admiring the way the colour deepened closer to his neck. Then suddenly Jacob licked her face from chin to hairline without warning.

"Ew! That was gross!" Bella complained, jumping back and laughing.

She wiped her face with her sleeve and realised that everyone was watching them, both the Cullens and the wolves-the Cullens looked perplexed and disgusted. It was hard to read the wolves faces, but she got the impression they were pleased at her interactions with Jacob. Lastly her eyes found Edward. He was on edge and clearly disappointed and unhappy. He had probably hoped she would run away from Jacob in terror, screaming as she went.

Jacob made another rumbling hum, capturing her attention again. Bella stared into his huge black eyes, frowning slightly as she tried to read his intent. "Are you joking?" She asked after a while. "I'll fall off."

Jacob made the laughing sound again.

"Very funny!" Bella rolled her eyes. "If I hurt myself than you'll have to answer to Charlie. Can you outrun a bullet?"

Jacob crouched down in front of her again, lowering his huge body as close to the ground as possible. He jerked his head, indicating for her to climb on. Nervously Bella stepped next to him and grabbed two thick handfuls of fur in her fingers and used that as leverage to haul herself clumsily up onto his back.

"Bella, what the hell are you doing?" Edward yelled frantically as she settled herself between Jacob's wide shoulders. "Stop!"

He took off in pursuit of them but Jacob and Bella were already gone.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Fourteen-A Tense Conversation**

The wolf ride was exhilarating. Bella whooped with joy as Jacob bounded through the black forest. He moved agilely through the trees, swinging back and forth effortlessly. Bella kept low on his back in an effort to avoid any low hanging branches. They flew through the forest and soon ate up the miles. Eventually she recognised the familiar terrain of La Push. As Jacob neared his house, he slowed down considerably and covered the last half a mile at a slow jog.

When they arrived at their destination, Jacob lowered his body to the ground and Bella slipped easily off his back. Her hair was like a tangled halo around her head after the wild ride, her cheeks were rosy, and her brown eyes bright and eager.

"Wow, that was amazing!" She declared. "Why have we never done that before? It's much better than the bikes."

Jacob made his laughing sound again.

Bella smiled at him, casually tucking her hair behind her ears. "Well, you better get changed then."

Jacob bolted for the trees. As he darted away, she noticed for the first time a square of folded black fabric secured to his back leg. He wasn't gone long and soon loped back into view, on two legs this time. His broad chest was bare, his hair tangled and shaggy. It was really getting long. He wore only a pair of black sweat pants, his feet bare on the cold ground.

"Hey, Bells." He said, throwing an arm over Bella's shoulders and tucking her into his side to keep her warm.

"That was fun," Bella was practically skipping by his side as he led her into the house. "Please say we can do it again?"

"Sure, sure. That's if your bloodsucker lets you out of his sight ever again." Jacob pointed out as he opened the door and gently pushed Bella in ahead of him.

Bella's good mood vanished as she thought about Edward. He was probably going crazy right now. Guilt stabbed at her and she sighed heavily. "He's not going to be happy with me."

"That's his problem." Jacob went straight to the fridge and dug around in it for some food. "Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good."

Jacob grabbed a carton of milk and some cheese slices. He set about making himself several sandwiches, until his clumsy attempts put Bella's teeth on edge and she took over. "I'm only going to eat them, Bells."

"But you want them to be edible, right?" Bella gestured toward the mess he'd made.

"You're too cute!" Jacob ruffled her hair, which earned him a glare from Bella. "Are you gonna cut the crusts off, too?"

"Watch yourself, Black!" Bella warned him.

"I'd rather watch you." Jacob replied with a sexy grin.

Bella ignored his suggestive comment and continued to cut the bread into even slices. Soon she had a stack of six sandwiches piled evenly on a plate. She poured each of them a glass of milk before Jacob drank it straight from the carton, then carried everything over to the table and set it down.

As soon as Jacob sat down he was reaching for the first sandwich. He smiled at Bella, his dark eyes twinkling with mirth as he took a ginormous bite out of the bread. Bella rolled her eyes at him as she took a dainty sip of milk from her glass.

"Okay, Bells." Jacob said after he had finished his first sandwich. "Lay it on me."

"Why didn't you tell me about the others?"

"It wasn't by choice. Everything happened so quickly." Jacob admitted, sighing heavily. "Brady and Colin phasing took us all by surprise. That's why I had to leave so quickly during your graduation ceremony." He paused for a few seconds, his brows drawing together in a deep frown. "They're even younger than Seth."

Bella stared at him, totally shocked. "I can't believe it!" She whispered hoarsely. "This is because of what's coming. This is all my fault."

Jacob reached for her hand and looked at her earnestly. "Stop blaming yourself for everything, Bells. This isn't on you. Its _them_."

By _them_ he meant the Cullens, or more specifically, Edward.

"Are Brady and Colin going to be okay?" Bella asked.

He squeezed her fingers gently before letting go. "Don't worry. They're being well looked after." He reached for another sandwich and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. "I need you to tell me everything that you know, Bells. I don't want to go into this battle blind."

"You don't trust the Cullens at all, do you?" Bella didn't know why she was even asking. She already knew the answer.

"Do you blame me?" Jacob muttered.

"No, I suppose not." Bella conceded. She felt her throat tighten with shame. "I never wanted any of you involved in this, Jake."

"I know, but we are. And I want to make sure we're fully prepared. So, is there anything I should know?" Jacob urged her again.

Bella thought about her most recent revelation. Edward didn't believe her theory but she knew that the others did, particularly Carlisle and Rosalie. Bella put her guilt aside for one moment and began to tell Jacob what she had only recently learned herself.

* * *

As dawn's early light kissed the sky, the scattered light; its hue ambitiously illuminating each crevice of the land, Jacob and Bella came out of the house. They stood on the front porch, hand in hand, staring at the brightening horizon. Darkness had not long surrendered to the light, yet they could see the thick grey clouds that were cast over the sky.

"I need to get home. Charlie will be awake soon." Bella's voice was heavy with regret. It wouldn't only be her father waiting for her at home. Edward was probably staking out the house right now, awaiting her return.

"I'll drive you." Jacob was reluctant to let her go, but he didn't have a choice. He was silent for a minute, his expression thoughtful. "During the battle I think it's best if you stay here on the res."

"Edward would never go for that." Bella felt her stomach drop. She hadn't even given the idea any consideration.

"I don't give a fuck what he wants." Jacob blazed. "I want you safely here on the res when it all goes down-"

"My Dad!" Bella gasped.

"He'll be with Billy." Jacob assured her quickly. "If my dad has to commit a murder to get him here, he'll do it. Probably it won't take that much.. It's this Saturday, right? There's a game."

"This Saturday?" Bella asked, her head was spinning. She was too lightheaded and exhausted to control her whirling thoughts. "I can't...I can't..."

"Hey, just breathe, Bells." Jacob pulled her into a comforting hug. "Hiding you is just a precaution. It will be fine. There are gonna be more of us then them."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut and tried not to cry. She knew there was no way that Edward would agree to her hiding out in La Push. He would come up with a thousand reasons why it was a bad idea. Like always, Jacob seemed to read her mind.

"I don't want you worrying about this, honey. You're stressed enough as it is. I'll sort it out with the bloodsucker."

"I feel so useless." Bella moaned. "I don't want anyone risking their lives for me."

Jacob's warm lips brushed her forehead for a minute second. The brief touch sent her nerve ends tingling and Bella found herself relaxing, despite herself. She was really tired now. She had been up most of the night, and the little sleep she had managed to find had been full of nightmares.

"Come on, I'll take you home." Jacob sensed that she was dead on her feet. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the car. Before he had even switched on the engine she was asleep.

* * *

Bella woke up to find she was in her own bed. The dull light coming in through the windows slanted in from a strange angle. Almost like it was afternoon. She yawned and stretched.

"Bella."

Her hand encountered something cool and smooth. She yanked it back, her eyes opening to slits.

"Are you really awake this time?"

"Edward." Bella said diffidently.

"You've been very restless-talking all day."

"All day?" Bella blinked and looked toward the windows again.

"You've had a long night." Edward said reassuringly. "You'd earned a day in bed."

Bella sat up, the light was coming in the window from the west. "I didn't mean to sleep so long."

"Hungry?" Edward guessed. "Do you want breakfast in bed?"

Bella looked at him warily. He was being too nice. Why wasn't he angry? She had practically absconded with Jacob and he hadn't even mentioned it. What game was he playing? Was he trying to lure her into a false sense of security or something?

"I can get my own breakfast." She groaned, stretching. Whatever stupid game he was playing she would go along with it for now. "I need to get up and move around."

Edward held her hand on the way to the kitchen, eyeing her carefully, like she might fall or something. Bella tried to ignore his intense stare as she made something simple, throwing a couple of pop tarts in the toaster. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective chrome.

"Ugh, I'm a mess."

"It was a long night." Edward said, there was an edge to his voice now. "You should have stayed here and slept."

"Right! And missed everything, so you could come back and feed me a pack of lies for my protection like you always do!" Bella snapped at him.

Edward's amber eyes flashed with annoyance. "No, Bella, that would be you!" He retorted bitterly. "Exactly what did you and the dog discuss when you ran off with him last night?"

Bella scowled at him as she sat down with her breakfast, and he sat next to her, his angry gaze still fixated on hers. "Don't pretend that you didn't delve inside Jacob's head this morning when he brought me home. I know that you were probably staking out the house."

"Why are you being so obtuse?" Edward demanded.

"No, Edward, that would be you!" Bella said mockingly as she threw his own words back at him.

As she lifted the pop tart to take a bite, the necklace Jacob had given her fell forward, revealing the wooden heart pendant attached to it. Edward reached out and balanced the pendant in his snowy palm. For a fleeting moment, Bella was afraid. Just the slightest twist of his fingers could crush it into splinters.

"Don't you dare!" She warned him.

Edward sneered, weighing the heart pendant in his palm for a moment, and then let it fall. It swung lightly from its chain. Bella tried to read the expression in his eyes, but it was proving difficult.

"Jacob Black can give you presents."

It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. Bella looked at him warily, wondering where he was going with this. She remembered her birthday and the fit she had thrown over the gifts; she hadn't wanted any. Especially not from Edward. Jacob had given her a dream catcher, and she had accepted that without question. It wasn't entirely logical, and of course, he had been hurt then, too.

"Your family has given me presents." She reminded him. "You know I like the homemade kind."

Edward pursed his lips for a second. "If I asked...would you take it off?"

"No."

"I see. Because you don't want to hurt his feelings."

Bella didn't bother to respond. Edward could think what he liked. She resumed eating.

"Don't you think it's fair, then." He asked, looking down at her hand as he spoke. He turned it palm up and ran his finger along the veins in her wrist. "If I can do the same?"

"If you say so." Bella said wearily.

"Have you noticed the inequality?" Edward's voice turned accusing. "Because I certainly have. Jacob is always able to get away with giving you things, but not me. I would have loved to have given you a graduation present, but I didn't. I knew it would have upset you. But you accept Jacob Black's gift, you even gush over it. That's utterly unfair. How do you explain yourself?"

Bella chewed her breakfast slowly. She wasn't in the mood for his pathetic jealousy, because this was what it was really all about. She knew he wouldn't listen even if she told him the truth. The reality was he just didn't want to hear it. She stood up and scraped her chair back, intending to wash up her plate. As she turned to the sink she felt him standing right behind her, his cold breath tickling her skin. She found that funny, seeing as he really didn't need to breathe.

"You will not be hiding out on the reservation, Bella. It won't work and it's not safe, whatever the dog might think." He whispered close to her ear. "You can get that idea out of your head right away. My family and I have already made alternate plans."

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Fifteen-Heart Eyes**

They were back in the baseball clearing for another meeting. Only this time most of the pack were absent. Jacob was alone-other than his two wingmen-Embry and Quil remained by the trees in their wolf forms, watching Jacob, their postures radiating anxiety.

"Why are you here? Where's Samuel Uley?" Edward demanded as Jacob loped into view in his human form. Like always, his broad chest was bare, as well as his feet. A cut of pair of sweats hung low on his hips. Edward caught Bella staring and he scowled at her.

"Sam asked me to come." Jacob said coolly.

"I doubt that." Edward sneered.

"I'm not here to trade barbs, bloodsucker." Jacob growled. "You asked for this meeting. Now get to the point."

"We're here to talk about where Bella is going to be during the fight." Edward's voice was as icy as his skin.

"She'll stay on the res. She'll be safe there. We're making Colin and Brady stay behind anyway. Seth will be there, too." Jacob's dark eyes flicked to Bella and some of the tenseness left his face. "Hey, Bells."

"Hey, Jake." Bella smiled in response.

Edward frowned and stepped in front of Bella, essentially cutting off Jacob's view of her. "Bella cannot stay in La Push. She's been back and forth too much." He said scathingly. "She's left trails all over the place. Alice only sees very young vampires coming on the hunt, but obviously someone created them-"

"Victoria created them." Bella cut in irritably.

"I'm not willing to believe that Victoria-" Edward began.

"Carlisle believes it."

"Bella, please. Stop interrupting." Edward scolded her.

Bella was about to open her mouth again to issue a retort when she noticed Jacob giving her a subtle signal to be quiet. She drew in a frustrated breath and folded her arms across her chest but remained silent.

"As I was saying," Edward continued when he was sure that she was suitably chastened. "We can all agree that there is someone more experienced behind this. Whoever he-" Edward paused to look at Bella again-"or she is, this could all be a distraction. Alice will see if he decides to look himself, but we could be very busy at the time that decision is made. Maybe someone is counting on that. I can't leave her somewhere she's been frequently. She has to be hard to find, just in case. It's a very long shot, but I'm not taking chances."

Bella stared at Edward as he explained. He turned and patted her arm and smiled disarmingly. "I'm just being overcautious." He promised.

Behind Edward Bella could see Jacob pull a disgusted face. He was obviously finding Edward's overprotective bullshit hard to swallow. She sucked in her lower lip as she tried not to laugh. She didn't want to give the whole thing away.

"So hide her here." Jacob gestured to the deep forest east of them, to the vast expanse of the Olympic Mountains. "There's a million possibilities-places either one of us could be in just a few minutes if there's a need."

Edward shook his head stubbornly. "Her scent is too strong and, combined with mine, especially distinct. Even if I carried her, it would leave a trail. Our trace is all over the range, but in conjunction with Bella's scent, it would catch their attention. We're not exactly sure which path they'll take, because they don't know yet. If they crossed her scent before they found us..."

"Then I'll carry her." Jacob interrupted him impatiently.

"No way!" Edward snarled. He captured Bella's hand and pulled her behind him protectively as if worried Jacob was going to grab her and run off into the forest right then.

"Get a grip, bloodsucker. Do you want Bella to be safe or not?" Jacob accused. "My scent disgusts you, right?"

"No!" Edward said again.

Jasper intervened at that point. He walked over with Alice half a step behind. Her face was frustrated again. "I think it will work, Edward." He said quietly. "Let him try."

"Alice?" Edward demanded, clearly hoping that his closest supporter would be on his side.

"Actually I agree with Jas. Let the dog try."

Bella was watching all their interactions carefully, trying not to smile. The plan was going much smoother than expected. She kept her gaze trained on Jacob, admiring his self restraint around Edward.

"Be careful. Your heart eyes are showing." Rosalie's voice hissed in her ear.

Bella startled and let out a small gasp. She hated that everyone could sneak up on her so easily. "I don't know what you're talking about." She huffed.

The beautiful blonde gave her a sardonic smile. "Of course you don't."

"I don't like this at all."

Edward was still protesting but everyone ignored him as Jacob approached Bella with his arms out toward her. There was a strange mixture of emotions on his face, and Bella realised he was struggling to hold in his feelings like she was now that they were looking directly at each other.

"We're going to see if I can confuse the scent enough to hide your trail, Bells." Jacob explained.

"I kind of guessed that." Bella pretended to stare at his open arms suspiciously. God, she was a terrible actress. If Rosalie had noticed then who else might pick up on it.

"You're going to have to let him carry you, Bella." Jasper said in his southern drawl. His nose wrinkled slightly in distaste.

Bella frowned, still trying to keep up the ruse.

Jacob did the same. He rolled his eyes, impatient, and reached down to yank her up into his arms. Edward was livid, but with his whole family, apart from Carlisle and Esme, surrounding him, he had no choice but to watch as Jacob turned away and paced swiftly into the woods.

* * *

Bella didn't say anything as the dark closed around her. Now she was out of eyeshot of the Cullens, she relaxed in Jacob's arms. Already she could feel the tension oozing out of her body. His arms tightened around her and she could see the white flash of his teeth in the murky light as he smiled. As he carried her a good distance to make sure they were far enough away so that the vamps couldn't hear them, Bella wondered if Embry and Quil were keeping pace with them in the darkness.

"Well that was easier than I expected." Jacob was the first to speak, indicating to Bella that they were now a safe distance away from the Cullens not to be overheard. "You did really well, honey."

"Not well enough." Bella thought of Rosalie. "I think Rose is suspicious."

"She can't prove anything." Jacob slowed his pace down to a walk. "You did really well, Bells. I almost believed that you didn't want me to carry you." He smirked.

Bella's face relaxed into a teasing smile. "I'm a better actress than I thought."

"Sure, sure." Jacob laughed. "Maybe around the vamps, but you'd never be able to fool me."

"You are so annoying." Bella muttered. "Don't get too confident. You need to keep your thoughts masked around Edward-" A sudden thought occurred to her. "What about Quil and Embry? If Edward reads their mi-"

"They've been ordered not to think about it. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. That's why they're acting so agitated. No one wanted to put an Alpha order on them, but it was needed for added protection." Jacob said soothingly. "Don't worry, Bells. The bloodsuckers will think that we're following the dumb plan for me to carry you up into the wilds somewhere, but in reality I will be carrying you to safely to La Push."

"Edward will go mad when he finds out that we've tricked him." Bella remembered his strange reaction from the night before about the presents.

"It will be too late for him to do anything by then. The little pixie won't be able to warn him because you'll be with me. She can't see past the wolves, remember." Jacob stated confidently.

"I'm still worried, Jake. We're all meant to be working together, but already we're deceiving them." Bella was struggling to fight off her anxieties. So much rode on the wolf pack and the Cullens fighting the newborns together. It was a big risk they were taking.

Jacob's tone hardened. "Look, no one is deceiving anyone. All we promised was to fight alongside them in this battle. Nothing more. So as far as the pack is concerned, we are still holding up our end of the bargain."

"I'm sorry, Jake. I'm just so scared." Bella admitted wearily. The strain of keeping up the act around Edward was proving exhausting. He had become more overprotective than normal and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I know, honey." Jacob's face turned tender. "This is the hardest on you. But we agreed it would be safer for you on the res. This whole crap about my scent masking yours makes no difference. The red head knows you hang out with me. All those forays she made into La Push weren't for fun or just to test our strength. She's been gathering information this whole time. She knows what we are to each other. She knows the pack exists. If I carry you up that mountain all she'll need to do is follow my scent and she'll find you up there-alone, vulnerable and unprotected."

Bella closed her eyes in anguish. She wasn't built for subterfuge. When she had run off with Jacob the night of the first meeting between the Cullens and the wolves they had come up with the plan together. They knew Edward wouldn't agree to her staying on the res, so instead they had decided to bluff Edward into thinking they were going along with what he wanted while instead doing the exact opposite.

Jacob made a wide arc and began to head back to the clearing. Bella felt his lips brush her forehead in a gentle kiss. She leaned into him, drawing comfort from his solid presence and the soothing heat pouring from his body. They couldn't talk anymore as they were drawing within hearing range of the Cullens.

* * *

When they arrived at the original departure point Edward was there alone and Jacob reluctantly headed toward him.

"You were gone longer than necessary." Edward said suspiciously.

"I didn't want to take a chance of messing up the experiment." Jacob retorted. His walk slowed and his arms tightened even more around Bella. He really didn't want to give her up.

"You can put her down now, dog." Edward's fingers curled into fists as he glared in Jacob's direction.

Out of nowhere Alice and Jasper appeared beside Edward. Jacob took one more step, and then reluctantly set Bella down half a dozen feet from them. Edward immediately flew to her side and took her hand.

"Well?" She asked, looking in Jasper's direction as she fought the urge to snatch her hand out of Edward's.

"As long as you don't touch anything, Bella. I cannot imagine anyone sticking their nose close enough to that trail to catch your scent. I only followed a few feet and that was enough." Jasper said, grimacing. "It was almost completely obscured."

"A definite success." Alice trilled, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she caught a whiff of Jacob's scent all over Bella. "Did the dog rub himself all over you or something? You reek."

"ALICE!" Edward snapped, appalled at her insinuation. His eyes turned dark as he glared daggers in Jacob's direction. "Unless he took advantage. Did he?" He demanded from Bella without taking his steely gaze from Jacob.

"Don't be ridiculous." Bella huffed impatiently.

"Can you stop arguing?" Alice interjected, annoyed. "All this has given me another idea."

Edward had already read her mind. "Clever." He said, impressed.

"How do you put up with this crap, Bells?" Jacob whispered to her.

Edward scowled at Jacob and focused on Bella while he explained. "We're-well, you're-going to leave a false trail. to the clearing. The newborns are hunting, your scent will excite them, and they'll come exactly the way we want them to without being careful about it. Alice can already see that this will work. When they catch our scent, they'll split up and try to come at us from two sides. Half will got through the forest, where her vision suddenly disappears..."

"And we'll be waiting to finish them." Jacob said coolly.

Bella felt sick. They were all placing themselves in danger. She looked hopelessly toward Jacob and he gazed back at her intently. _Trust me_, his eyes were saying_, stop worrying about things you can't change_. Bella slowly relaxed and dropped her gaze to the ground in case anyone else noticed the heart eyes like Rosalie had earlier.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Sixteen-Tension**

Edward carried Bella home. They didn't speak, both lost in their thoughts. Bella was worrying about the coming battle. She hated the fact that everyone was having to risk their lives on her behalf while she stayed stuck on the reservation being babysat by the youngest wolves in the pack. She felt useless and like a burden. Her head and her heart were so heavy with worry that she didn't realise when she had fallen asleep, and by the time she woke up again from her troubled dreams she had slept away another whole day.

"You've been talking in your sleep."

Edward's voice made her jump. Bella sat up in bed, doing her best to straighten the tangled mass of hair on her head. He was sitting in the old rocking chair, a book open on his lap. She wondered if he was reading Wuthering Heights again.

"What time is it?" She asked hoarsely.

"Four in the afternoon."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Bella pushed the duvet aside and stood up on wobbly legs.

"You needed the rest." Edward tried to placate her with one of his crooked smiles.

Bella glowered at him, irked that she had wasted yet another day sleeping, and the fact that he had been listening to her sleep talking. She blushed, wondering what the hell she had said while she was comatose. But his next words answered that for her.

"You were talking about the wolves."

"I was?"

"Yes, one in particular of course." He continued sourly.

"Well, I'm worried about him. I'm worried about all of them." Bella snapped, feeling mortified that he had been privy to her private ramblings.

"They can handle themselves, Bella. A fact that even he has mentioned on several occasions." Edward reminded her.

"Some of them are still children." Bella replied acidly. "They are not centuries old vampires with decades of fighting experience."

Anger flickered across his face, and then he took in a deep breath and composed himself. "I am well aware of that. I am sure Samuel Uley will make sure that the youngest will be kept out of the worst fighting."

The youngest wouldn't be fighting at all. But Edward didn't need to know that. Bella reached for her brush and began to detangle her hair as best she could. Anything to provide a distraction.

Edward took advantage of the fact that she was momentarily occupied, continuing in a suspiciously smooth, and soothing voice.

"I got a fascinating look into the pack's mind the other night when we were all gathered together. It was better than a soap opera. I had no idea how complex the dynamic is with such a large pack. The pull of the individual against the plural psyche...Absolutely fascinating."

Bella concentrated on brushing her hair in stony silence.

"Jacob Black has been keeping a lot of secrets."

Bella froze, her blood running cold. Did he know about their secret plan? Had he been trying to lull her into a false sense of security?

"For instance, did you note the smaller grey wolf the other night?"

Bella relaxed. He was referring to Leah. She resumed brushing, turning her back to him as she did so.

Edward was laughing now. "They take all of their legends so seriously. It turns out there are things that none of their stories prepared them for."

He was going for the big reveal. Bella looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "If you're talking about Leah Clearwater being part of the pack, I already know."

"How do you know?" Edward said bitingly.

Bella didn't bother to answer him, but just continued to brush her hair. She thought about the night of the bonfire when Jacob was speaking of Leah and Sam. She remembered Leah on the cliff, a tear glistening on her cheek when Old Quil had spoken of the burden and sacrifice the Quileute sons shared...And Billy spending time with Sue because she was having trouble with her kids...the trouble being that both her son and daughter were werewolves now!

She thought about all that Leah had been through, grieving for the loss of Harry, and about the strange imprinting between Sam and her cousin Emily which had broken Leah's heart. And now she was part of Sam's pack, hearing his thoughts...and unable to hide her own. Everything you're ashamed of, laid out to bare. It must be sheer torture. She felt tears running down her cheeks and realised she was crying.

"Poor Leah." She whispered.

Edward snorted derisively. "I wouldn't waste your sympathy. She's making life exceedingly unpleasant for the rest of them. Did the wolf boy tell you that?"

Bella's fingers tightened around her brush. She wished she had the strength to beat Edward around the head with it she was so angry. "What do you mean?"

"It's hard enough for them, having to share all their thoughts. Most of them try to co-operate, make it easier. When even one member is deliberately malicious, it's painful for everyone."

"Leah has reason enough." Bella accused, still very much on the she-wolf's side.

Edward drew forward in his seat, the chair rocking with his slight movement. "Oh, I know." He said, eyes scrutinising Bella carefully. "The imprinting compulsion is one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed in my life, and I've seen some strange things." He lowered his voice wonderingly. "The way Sam is tied to his Emily is impossible to describe-or should I say her Sam. Sam really had no choice. It reminds me of A Midsummer Night's Dream with all the chaos caused by the fairies' love spells...like magic." He smiled, a strange gleam lighting his amber eyes as he delivered the killer blow. "Just think that it will happen to Jacob Black one day-"

The brush Bella was holding slipped from her nerveless fingers. She was shaking. Edward hurriedly picked up the brush and handed it back to her.

"Are you alright, my love?" He asked carefully. "You've gone very pale." He traced a cool finger along her jaw line, leaving a trail of cold in his wake.

"I'm fine." Bella said stiffly as she began to brush her hair with harsh strokes. "And if Leah is malicious I don't blame her, being confronted with that every day." She snapped.

"She's constantly bringing up things they'd rather not think of." He explained. "For example, Embry."

"What about Embry?"

"His mother moved down from the Makah reservation seventeen years ago, when she was pregnant with him. She's not Quileute. Everyone assumed she'd left the father behind with the Makahs. But then he joined the pack."

"So?" Bella demanded.

"So the prime candidates for his father are Quil Ateara Sr, Joshua Uley, or Billy Black, all of them married at this point, of course. Now Sam, Jacob and Quil all wonder which of them has a half brother. They'd like to thinks its Sam, since his father was never much of one. But the doubt is always there. Did Jacob Black not share any of this with you?"

"You sound like nothing but an old gossip." Bella's tenuous hold on her anger finally snapped as she raged at him. "The reason Jacob didn't tell me about Embry or Leah is because it's their business and none of mine. He's loyal and would never share personal stuff like that. But then I don't expect that they ever thought they would have the misfortune to come across a hundred plus year old vampire who doesn't know how to respect boundaries or other people's privacy."

Edward's brows drew down into a deep frown. "That's not what I was doing. And it hurts me deeply that you would even think such a thing." He said defensively. "The pack mind is mesmerising. It was hard to ignore their thoughts when they were practically shouting them at me. I would never intrude on anyone's privacy willingly, but my gift sometimes gives me no choice. And when confronted with something like the pack mind, all of the wolves thinking together and separately at the same time. There's so much to read."

"The pack mind is fascinating." Bella agreed. "Almost as fascinating as you are when you're trying to feed me the usual lies. You were deliberately fishing for something in the wolves heads to use against Jacob, weren't you?"

"Bella!"

"But all you came up with is a load of old tittle-tattle and unsubstantiated rumours. Pathetic!" Bella flung the brush on the bed and stormed out of her room to take a shower and freshen up before Charlie came home.

* * *

Bella was entirely presentable when Charlie came home-fully dressed, hair decent, and in the kitchen putting his dinner on the table. She was so pleased to see him, so grateful that Edward couldn't hover around her because he was there, that she flung her arms around his waist in greeting.

"I'm so glad you're home, Dad."

"Wow!" Charlie fumbled around, not used to such an emotional display from his daughter. He patted her on the back awkwardly. "You okay, Bells?"

"Don't worry about me." Bella let him go, wiping away a stray tear as she did so.

"You seem...um...kinda upset." Charlie said carefully, examining her face for some kind of sign.

"It's just the time of the month, Dad." Bella said carelessly.

"Oh!" Charlie's face went beat red and his Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he took in what she said. This wasn't the sort of talk he was used to and he felt out of his depth. What was he supposed to say? "Um...you have everything you need? I could go down to the local store I suppose-"

Bella stared at her father in horror at the thought of him scouring the feminine products aisle on her behalf. She couldn't believe for a moment that he was being serious. She felt her face turning as red as his. "No...no...I'm fine. I have everything...you don't need to worry."

"That's good. That's very good!" Charlie exhaled in relief.

"Let's have dinner." Bella announced to cover both of their embarrassment.

"Yes, lets." Charlie said gruffly as he pulled up a chair at the table.

* * *

Bella enjoyed the trip to the clearing more than she had before because it meant that she was going to see Jacob again. He had been so busy with his pack, they hadn't even had a chance to talk much on the phone, other than quickly checking in with each other. She had missed him so much-his warm smile, his comforting hugs-she was becoming addicted.

When they got to the clearing Jasper and Emmett were already there wresting-just warming up from the sounds of their laughter. Alice and Rosalie lounged on the hard ground, watching. Esme and Carlisle were talking a few yards away, heads close together, fingers linked, not paying attention.

It was much brighter tonight, the moon shining through the clouds, and she could easily see three wolves that sat around the edge of the practice ring, spaced far apart to watch from different angles. It was easy to recognise Jacob; she would have known him at once, even if he hadn't looked up and stared at the sound of their approach.

"Where are the rest of the wolves?" Bella whispered to Edward.

"They don't all need to be here. One would do the job, but I presume that Sam didn't trust us enough to just send Jacob. So I guess that's why Jacob brought his friends."

"His wingmen." Bella said with a fond smile. She gazed in Jacob's direction. Jacob looked back at her and smiled. It was the same wolfy grin as before, his eyes scrunching the way they did when he was human.

Bella knew, without asking, which of the others was Embry and which was Quil. Embry was clearly the thinner gray wolf with the dark spots on his back, who sat patiently watching, while Quil-deep chocolate brown and lighter on the face-twitched constantly, looking like he was dying to join in the mock fights going on between the Cullens.

Her gaze drifted to Jacob again, swallowing against the lump in her throat as she looked at him. Jacob sprang lightly to his feet, his agility at odds with his sheer mass, and trotted over to where she and Edward stood on the fringe of things.

"Jacob." Edward greeted him stiffly.

Jacob ignored him, his dark eyes focused solely on Bella. He put his head down to her level, cocking it to one side. A low whimper escaped his muzzle.

"I'm fine." She whispered. "I'm just worried, you know."

Jacob continued to stare at her.

"Bella, I think you should take a step back." Edward cautioned her.

Jacob growled-not a threatening sound, an annoyed sound-and Edward's face darkened.

"Why don't you go and help Jasper out or something." Bella said carelessly as she smiled up at Jacob, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

"Fine." Edward grimaced. He looked at Bella wistfully for one minute, before his eyes travelled to Jacob and hardened as he issued a silent warning. Then reluctantly, he turned his back and strode over to where Jasper waited.

Jacob laughed his coughing bark and Bella joined in. She sat down, feeling happier than she had done since the last time she had spent time with him. Jacob took a step forward, then looked back at her, a low whine rose in his throat.

"You want me to come with you?" Bella guessed.

She pushed herself back onto her feet and followed him into the cover of the trees. They walked side by side for a little while in comfortable silence. Bella's hand rested on his shoulder as he guided her over the uneven ground. They soon reached another clearing. This was way smaller than the one they'd left behind. A hollow log provided ample seating as Bella sat down and made herself comfortable while she waited for Jacob to change and come back to her.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Seventeen-A Proposal of Sorts**

Jacob cupped Bella's cheek in his warm palm. She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing. "How are you?" He asked huskily.

"I'm fine." She whispered.

Jacob smiled wryly at her blatant lie. "This is me you're talking to, honey. How are you really?"

Bella sighed and opened her eyes again. "You know me too well."

"And you still didn't answer my question." Jacob's hand left her cheek to lift her chin instead so he could get a good look at her beautiful face. He saw the fear in her eyes and he drew her into a comforting hug. "We'll get through this." He promised.

"I just want it to be Saturday already so it can all be over, but I dread it at the same time."

Tears pooled in Bella's eyes and she tried to blink them away. She was so sick of crying, of always feeling so helpless and vulnerable. She tucked her head under Jacob's chin and breathed in his comforting scent. Jacob smelled like the forest after a rainstorm-clean and fresh. Natural. His arms felt good around her body. Safe. He kissed her forehead.

"I wish we could just stop time for a while." Bella murmured.

Jacob rubbed her arm, tightening his hold on her slightly when she shivered. "Have you been sleeping alright?" He asked. "No more nightmares?" He looked at her hopefully.

"I've been sleeping too much. I feel like my body clock is out of whack or something." Bella sighed again. "And I'm still having the nightmares." She admitted. "Edward's over protectiveness is wearing me down. I can't breathe sometimes."

"Then send him away, Bella." Jacob frowned, exasperated.

"Don't be angry with me, Jake. I...I need you." Bella failed to stop the tears falling. They splashed down her cheeks, making her brown eyes luminous with liquid.

"No, I'm the one who's sorry. I know you're under a great deal of pressure. It's not like the bloodsucker would listen anyway." Jacob apologised. His soft lips grazed her forehead again when she shuddered in his arms. "I wish I could make this all go away." He said, frustration clear in his voice.

"All this pretence is hard. The secrets. It just gets too much sometimes." Bella confessed. "I'm trying to act normal around him, but I slip up occasionally, like today."

"What happened today?"

"Oh...nothing."

"Bella!" Jacob said sombrely. "Tell me."

"He's been picking through the pack mind, trying to find something to hold against you. He kept telling me you were keeping secrets from me and crap like that. Don't worry I called him out on it!" Bella's pale cheeks reddened with anger at the memory.

"So, you defended me, huh?" Jacob was smiling, his dark eyes filled with amusement.

"Don't get used to it." Bella huffed as she offered him a grudging smile of her own.

"Sure, sure." Jacob laughed.

Bella rested her head against him again and listened to the steady sound of his breathing. His solid presence was so comforting. She found herself thinking she could stay in his arms all day. It was awful that they were only able to snatch a few moments together like this. The strain of being permanently under watchful eyes was beginning to take its toll on her sanity, she was sure of it. If it went on for much longer it would drive her mad.

Her mind drifted to the first time he had held her hand, it felt natural. Comfortable. Easy. It was the same when he first held her. Would kissing him be so different? Once that thought popped up in her head she couldn't dismiss it. She didn't doubt his feelings for her. He had always been open and honest about those. When they had first spent time together, she had been so broken. He could fix her truck or the motorcycles. He could even build a car. Somehow he had managed to put her back together with the same degree of skill.

"We better head back." Jacob's reluctant voice brought her back into the moment.

"Already?" Bella said sadly.

"We don't want to arouse any suspicions. Especially if we want our plan to work." Jacob reminded her. He smiled at her sadly. "C'mon." He stood up and held out his hand for her to take.

Bella took it, thinking once again how natural and easy it felt.

* * *

Once they arrived back at the clearing-Jacob once again in his wolf form-they settled down near the fringe of trees. Jacob leaned his head against her leg and started making a contented humming sound. It sounded a little like a cats purr and it comforted Bella as she watched the killing games continue in the clearing below them.

She settled back into his warm fur, resting her head against his neck. Without realising it, she slowly drifted to sleep. No nightmares plagued her this time.

* * *

Bella stared miserably at the bag sitting in the passenger seat of the truck. She was packed and ready for her two-day stay with 'Alice.' It had all been planned behind her back. Alice had gone to see Charlie, dazzling him with her vampiric charm as she persuaded him to let Bella stay with her for the weekend while her family was away camping. The camping was just an excuse. In reality the Cullens, Alice included, were going hunting. It was going to be their last chance before the fight. Edward wasn't going with them. He was staying behind with Bella. She was going to be trapped in the mansion with him all night, with no Charlie to act as a buffer between them.

Billy had borrowed old Quil Ateara's boat and invited Charlie down for some open sea fishing before the afternoon game started. Knowing her father was going to be safely on the res was the only thing that settled her mind. Now she just had to endure a whole night with Edward before they met up with Jacob in the morning.

Bella had done all she could do. She tried to accept that, and put the things that were outside of her control out of her head, for tonight, at least. One way or another, everything would all be over in forty-eight hours.

Edward requested she try and relax. "For this one night, could we try to forget everything besides just you and me?" He pleaded, unleashing the full force of his eyes on her. "It seems we never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you."

Bella didn't have the energy to respond. The strain of keeping such a huge secret from him was draining. It was going to be made worse now they were completely alone. She was a bundle of nerves as he drove down the long path to his house-she didn't know how to do what she was trying to do, and she had some serious jitters. It was after dark when they reached the grand house. In spite of that the meadow was bright in the light shining from every window.

As soon as he cut the engine, Edward was around the passenger side, opening the door for Bella. He lifted her from the cab with one arm, slinging her bag out of the truck bed and over his shoulder with the other. His lips found hers as he kicked the truck's door shut behind him.

Bella scrunched her eyes shut as, without breaking the kiss, he swung her up into his arms so that she was cradled against his chest while he carried her into the house. By the time they reached the front door, she was so dizzy and fighting for air that she was on the verge of passing out.

Normally Edward wasn't so free with his kisses, he always maintained firm control on how long they would last, and when he would give them. But tonight his lips were not anxious, but enthusiastic now-he seemed thrilled at the prospect of having the whole night with Bella alone. He continued to kiss her for several minutes, standing there in the entry, he was less guarded than usual, his mouth cold and urgent on hers.

Bella was the first to break the kiss, which was usually unheard of. She turned her head away. "You can put me down now." She murmured breathlessly.

With a low chuckle-clearly pleased with his kissing prowess-he set her down on her feet. "Welcome home." He said, his eyes liquid and warm.

"Thanks." Bella mumbled, she was so tense that she didn't even have the energy to inject the appropriate amount of excitement into her voice.

"I have something for you." He said smoothly as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Why?"

Edward frowned, looking slightly put out. "You said you accepted something that is made for you, or a hand-me-down, remember? You said that was allowable. You said that was the reason you accepted Jacob Black's gifts so graciously."

That's not exactly what she had said. He had twisted her words to suit himself as usual. Bella couldn't be bothered to fight with him over something so trivial as a gift. "I guess I did say that."

"It's up in my room. Shall I go get it?"

His bedroom? Bella looked at him uneasily. She had been in his room before, but now she felt ambivalent. "Sure."

He must have been eager to give her the non-present, because human velocity didn't seem enough for him. He scooped Bella up again and flew up the stairs at a rapid pace until he reached his room. He set her down at the door, and darted into his closet.

He was back before Bella had a chance to catch her breath. She edged into the room and went to the huge, elaborate gold bed, perching nervously on the edge. "Okay, what is it?"

Edward smiled indulgently at the reluctance in her voice and climbed onto the bed and sat next to her. Her heart thumped unevenly as her nerves reached new heights.

"A hand-me-down." He reminded her sternly. He carefully pulled the chain around her neck for just a moment, attaching something to it she couldn't quite see. "There." He said, smiling proudly.

Bella looked at him dubiously before examining her necklace carefully. Dangling on the chain next to the Jacob's wooden heart charm now hung a brilliant heart-shaped crystal. It was cut in a million facets, so that even in the subdued light shining from the lamp, it sparkled.

"It was my mother's." Edward shrugged nonchalantly. "I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I've given some to Esme and Alice. So clearly this is not a big deal in any way, okay."

He was trying to act as if it was no big deal, when it was exactly the opposite. Bella couldn't believe he had given her another heart charm to try and rival Jacob's homemade one. But even with all its cold beauty and brilliance, it seemed soulless and empty compared to the cherry wood charm that Jacob had carved with his own two hands.

"I thought it was a good representation." He continued. "It's hard and cold." He laughed deprecatingly. "And it throws rainbows in the sunlight."

"It's...it's beautiful." Bella finally managed.

"My heart is just as silent." Edward mused. "And it, too, is yours."

The necklace was like a weight around her neck with the added charm. She fidgeted uncomfortably. Edward leaned close to her, pulling Bella into his side. She shivered, it was like snuggling with Michelangelo's David.

"Listen to your heart fly." He murmured. "Its fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Are you alright?"

"I don't know." She said in a small voice. "Your gift was just so overwhelming."

"It's a relief to have you accept a gift so easily. Good practice for you, too." He teased.

"That's the problem." Bella began. "I don't think I can acc-"

Edward looked at her suspiciously. "It's a done deal, Bella. I gave you a gift. You promised to accept it. I stuck to all the rules."

"Edward, you need to listen to me!" Bella said impatiently.

"I have listened to you. I always try and give you everything that you want. I ask for one small thing in return and you insist on fighting me on it." Edward frowned. "I've been extremely patient with you, Bella. I have made the biggest concession by far. And that ought to entitle me to a few compromises on your part."

"No." Bella argued, focusing on keeping her face composed.

"Well," Edward said, and his expression was calculating. "When you're my wife, then what's mine is yours...like tuition money. So there should be no problem with Dartmouth."

"I'm not going to Dartmouth!" Bella pulled out of his embrace and shifted away from him, wrapping her arms around her knees to create a barrier between them. "And marriage is definitely off the table. I've already told you how I feel about that!"

Edward's body tensed. "I thought you would have gotten over your aversion of marriage by now."

"It's not an aversion. I just don't believe in it."

Edward's face turned disapproving. "So, you don't want to be married to me?"

"Don't make this difficult." Bella pleaded. "Can we change the subject?"

"No." Edward clamped his teeth together. "We need to discuss this."

"Well I'm not willing to have this discussion."

"I say we are." He growled.

"I say we're not." Bella said flatly.

They glowered at each other for a long moment.

"So, your answer is no." Edward continued, his face hard.

Bella took a deep breath to steady herself. "My answer is no, Edward. My answer is no-to all of it-to marriage, to becoming a vampire, to everything...to you."

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Eighteen-Bella and Edward**

Edward's eyes tightened. He lifted his hand and reached behind himself for something she couldn't see. There was a muffled snapping sound, and the bed quivered beneath them. Something dark was in his hand; he held it up for Bella to see. It was a metal flower, one of the roses that adorned the wrought iron posts and canopy of the bed frame. His hand closed over it for a brief second, his fingers contracting gently, and then opened again.

Without a word he offered her the crushed, uneven lump of black metal. It was a cast of the inside of his hand, like a piece of play dough crushed in a child's fist. A half second later and the shape crumbled into black dust in his palm.

"This is my heart. Only you have the power to crush it." He said in a dark voice. His eyes remained intent on her face as he tossed the handful of iron sand to the corner of the room; it hit the wall with a sound like rain.

"I don't want to hurt you." Bella said cautiously, withdrawing from him a little. She had never seen him like this before. His gesture was meant to send a powerful message, but she found his actions a little disturbing.

"Then why are you?" He said softly, his voice filled with pain.

"Because things have changed." Bella whispered back.

God, she hadn't meant to start this conversation. This was something she had intended to deal with after the battle, not before. She floundered, panicking under the heavy weight of his distraught gaze.

"Explain it to me, then. Help me to understand, Bella." He pleaded thickly.

Before she could react his icy arms were around her, and his lips were at her ear; his cool breath made her shiver. "This is unbearable. I know you still want me, Bella. So many things I've wanted to give you..."

"Edward." Bella felt his cold lips on her neck, they moved back and forth, across her throat. Her heart, already racing with fear, sputtered frantically.

Bella twisted in his arms when his face turned slowly toward hers, his lips seeking to claim hers. His hands seized her face, locking her in place so she couldn't move.

Then he kissed her.

His mouth was not gentle; there was a brand new edge of conflict and desperation in the way his lips moved. His arms were locked around her so tight that she couldn't move. His body felt colder than ever. Bella trembled, as much out of fear as from the chill.

He didn't stop kissing her. She was the one who had to break away, gasping for air. Even then his lips did not leave her skin, they just moved to her throat again. Bella could feel the blood thrumming through her veins. Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears. His mouth moved back to hers, stopping any kind of protest spilling from her lips. One of his hands still cupped her face, his other arm tight around her waist straining her closer to him.

His lips were at her ear again. "Bella. My Bella." He murmured, his voice warm and like velvet.

"Edward, don't-" Bella gasped.

"This is what you wanted." Edward answered softly. His lips were slower now against her cheek and jaw. "This is what has been coming between us."

"No, it isn't." Bella's throat was so tight she could hardly speak.

"I know that it has been frustrating you because I've been holding back." Edward chuckled in her ear. "It was for a good reason, Bella. I have to be so careful. You are so sweet. So perfect. So vulnerable."

"No." Bella said again.

"My Bella." He pressed little butterfly kisses along her throat.

"I said no, Edward. I said NO!"

The last word was practically a scream. Cold iron fetters locked around her wrists and pulled her hands above her head, which was suddenly on a pillow. Edward's beautiful face hovered above hers, his amber eyes distraught, and filled with unendurable pain and guilt.

"Bella, my love, I thought this was what you wanted. I'm sorry. I would never..." He couldn't complete his sentence he was so horrified. He wrenched his body away from hers and flew out of the room, the bedroom door closing with a soft click behind him.

* * *

Bella stayed curled in a foetal position as she cried herself to sleep. She had attempted to call Jacob, her dad, anyone to come and pick her up, until she realised she had left her cell phone at home. She couldn't stop shaking. She had no idea if Edward was still in the house or he had left. And she didn't want to go wandering the corridors to find out. Even if she tried she didn't think she could regain control over her trembling limbs. Or even focus enough to drive even if she did find her way back to the truck.

Bella had no concept of how much time had passed when a gentle hand touching her hair woke her from a troubled dream. She jolted awake to find Edward sitting next to her on the bed. His face was composed, but his eyes were glimmering with sadness.

"I didn't mean to startle you." He said rather formerly. "I'm sorry."

Bella studied his expression for a long minute. "What time is it?" She croaked.

"Midnight."

It was only midnight? To Bella it felt like much more time had passed. She sat up on the bed and scooted away from him a little. She saw hurt cross his face, but she refused to feel guilty about it.

"I want to go home." She said quietly.

"That's not possible. You're having a sleepover with Alice, remember."

"Well call Alice and get her to come home."

"Impossible. She wouldn't answer. She's hunting with the rest of the family."

"Then give me the keys to the truck and I'll drive to the res."

"You are in no fit state to drive and it's too dangerous."

"You drive me then!" Bella demanded.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella. And before you demand that Jacob Black come and get you, he is busy with his pack preparing for the battle." Edward said brusquely. His tone gentled as he looked at her face. "I've apologised, Bella. I am truly sorry. It won't happen again. I promise."

"Please, I want to go home." Bella whispered as a lone tear slowly spilled down her cheek.

Edward seemed mesmerised by the droplet as it journeyed down her face. He reached out with his forefinger, capturing it on his fingertip, where it remained suspended for a time.

"I've made you cry." He said sorrowfully before getting up with unconscious grace to kneel next to the bedside table. He was back on the bed in an instant, sitting beside Bella and staring at her imploringly with his powerful gaze. In his hand was a little black box. He balanced it on her left knee. "This belongs to you."

Bella picked up the inoffensive little box. She had decided it was best to go along with his little games. She didn't want to antagonise him again while they were trapped in the house alone together. Her hands shook as she brushed her fingers over the black satin covering the box.

"What is it?"

"It's just another hand-me-down." Edward explained with a slight quirk of his lips. "I didn't spend anything. I'm not breaking the rules."

Filled with dread, and already guessing what lay inside, Bella opened the box to find an expensive ring nestled inside.

"It was the ring my father gave to my mother. I suppose it's a little outdated." Edward's tone was playfully apologetic. "Old fashioned, just like me."

Bella stared miserably at Elizabeth Masen's ring. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold-delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web of diamonds.

"Why are you giving me this, Edward?" She asked cautiously.

"Think of it as a promise ring." Edward smiled encouragingly. Bella's left hand clenched into a fist automatically. Edward sighed in irritation. "I am not going to solder it to your finger, Bella. For now it will go on your right hand."

HIs long fingers closed around her right hand and slid the ring in place on her third finger. He held her hand out, examining the oval sparkling against her skin. "Perfect." He murmured. "Just perfect."

Bella didn't know what to do. She was tired, emotional and completely at his mercy. She stared into his eyes, trying to decipher the emotion that smouldered just under the surface. He gazed back, and the casual pretence suddenly slipped away. He was glowing with pride. In his mind he had achieved what he wanted, staked a claim on her for the whole world to see. The whole world and Jacob anyway.

Before she could pull back he was kissing her exultantly, despite his earlier promise that he would behave. Bella didn't have the strength to fight him. He kissed her and kissed her until she became light headed and eventually passed out altogether.

* * *

Bella awoke to the sun shining bright outside the window-wall. Small clouds scuttled across the sky. The wind rocked the treetops till the whole forest looked as if it was going to shake apart.

Edward left her alone while she got dressed. She was glad of the chance to think. Last night had gone horribly awry, and she needed to come to grips with the consequences. Bella was so emotionally battered that she was blaming herself for Edward's assault, wishing that she had handled things better, or just kept her mouth shut entirely. She had given him back the hand-me-down ring, mumbling a promise to wear it later as she wanted to keep it safe.

The Cullens came back around noon. There was a new businesslike feel to the atmosphere around them, and it pulled Bella back into the enormity of what was coming. Alice seemed to be in an unusually bad mood. She kept shooting frustrated looks in Bella's direction as her first complaint was about working with the wolves. "I can't see anything." She huffed.

"You should ring, Jacob." Rosalie's cool tones made Bella jump as the beautiful blonde passed her own expensive cell. Her eyes were tight, studying Bella's pale complexion carefully. "Was everything alright last night?" She asked suspiciously as her astute gaze darted to Edward sharply.

"Everything was fine." Bella said shakily.

Rosalie was back, examining Bella's face for a second time. Her eyes were drawn to the slight bruising along Bella's collarbone. She stiffened, her suspicious gaze finding Edward again. "Are you sure it was fine?" She said darkly.

"Yes." Bella was trying to forget last night. She just wanted to concentrate on the here and now. She walked away a few paces and called Jacob, only to find to her bitter disappointment that he wasn't home.

"Don't you worry about Charlie, Bella." Billy assured her. "I've got my part of this under control." Then he promised to call around until he could find an available werewolf to pass the news onto Jacob.

"Thanks, Billy." Bella said wearily. "I know Charlie will be fine." She wished she could be as confident about his son's safety. She blinked back her tears, determined not to cry again.

"I wish I could be with the rest of them." Billy said regretfully. "Being an old man is a hardship, Bella."

"Have fun with Charlie." Bella choked out.

"Good luck, Bella." He replied huskily. "Stay safe. We all love you."

"I will." Bella promised faithfully before ending the call.

Bella tried to give the phone back to Rosalie but she refused to take it. "Keep it." She said distractedly, clearly preoccupied about something.

* * *

Bella was an emotional mess by the time she and Edward departed from the clearing. She had exchanged a tearful goodbye with the other Cullens, with Rosalie holding her particularly tightly for some reason when they hugged. The journey to the clearing seemed twice as long; Edward took a long detour, making sure her scent would be nowhere near the trail that Jacob was supposed to hide later. He carried her in his arms, the bulky backpack in her usual spot on his back.

He stopped at the furthest end of the clearing and set her on her feet.

"Alright, just walk north for a ways, touching as much as you can. Alice gave me a clear picture of their path, and it won't take us long to intersect it."

Bella followed his instructions to the letter. She was just glad to be useful for something. She wandered into the woods, leaving the clear yellow light of the strangely sunny day in the clearing behind her. It was much too cold for June and she was grateful for the thick jacket she was wearing. She walked slowly, trailing her fingers over anything close enough to touch.

"When are we meeting Jacob?" Bella called out to Edward when she re-emerged into the light.

"I'm right here." Jacob stepped out of the shadows right in front of her.

Bella had been expecting the big red-brown wolf and was grateful that he was in his human form. He seemed bigger again-no doubt a product of her own wild imagination. Her heart soared when she saw him and all the weariness and emotional exhaustion fell away as she flung herself bodily into his arms, clinging to him as if she would never, ever let him go.

"Woah, that's some greeting." Jacob chuckled, his dark eyes twinkling. "Pleased to see me?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Bella's voice was muffled as she tucked her face into the crook of his neck and breathed him in.

Edward's lips pulled down at the corners as he glared at Jacob. "There has to be a better way to do this."

Jacob just stared at Edward, his face now all business. "Where do I take her?"

Edward pulled out a map from a side pocket on the pack and offered it to him. Jacob gently coaxed Bella to let him go so he could unfold the map and pretend to examine it.

"We're here now." Edward said, reaching out to touch the right spot. Jacob's nose wrinkled in disgust as he got a whiff of Edward's vampire stench.

"I can read maps. I know this area pretty well." He growled.

"Fine." Edward's tone was barely polite. "I will take the longer route and I'll see you in a few hours." He gazed at Bella unhappily, he hated this part of the plan.

"See you." Bella barely acknowledged him as he faded into the trees, heading in the opposite direction.

As soon as he was gone Jacob gave Bella one of his sunniest smiles. "What's up, Bells?"

"Same old, same old." Bella felt young again as she fell into the familiar camaraderie of Jake and Bells.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Bunch of vampires trying to kill you. The usual."

"The usual." Bella agreed.

"Well, let's get going." Jacob bent down and swept his arm behind her knees, knocking her legs out from under her. His other arm caught her before she hit the ground.

"You jerk." She squealed, laughing.

Jacob laughed along with her, already running through the trees. He kept a steady pace, a brisk jog that a fit human would have trouble keeping up with for too long. "Are you ready to go home, honey?" He asked, looking down at her with a warm smile.

"If by home you mean La Push-then I'm more than ready." Bella replied as she snuggled closer to his warm body.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Nineteen-Jacob and Bella**

"You don't have to run. You'll get tired." Bella said in concern.

Jacob laughed. "Running doesn't make me tired." His breathing was even-like the fixed tempo of a marathon runner. "Besides it's getting colder. I want to get you safely inside before the storm hits."

"Storm? What storm? I didn't see anything on the news." Bella said in alarm. She hadn't heard either Alice or Edward mention any bad weather.

"There wasn't. It's just a feeling I get. I don't like the way the weather feels. Its making me edgy. I don't suppose you've noticed how we haven't seen any animals."

"Um...not really."

"I guess you wouldn't. Your senses are too dull." Jacob said teasingly.

"Ha ha!" Bella tapped him lightly on the chest.

"It takes a lot to silence the forest this way." Jacob's tone turned serious as he looked around at the tall trees, standing like silent sentinels all around them.

The pathless way he took back to La Push was rougher than the normal foot paths. Bella supposed he didn't want to risk using the more well worn paths. He loped easily over the rougher terrain, his perfect balance reminding of her a mountain goat.

Bella was being lulled to sleep by the gentle rhythm of his movements. That, and the intense heat pouring off his body, made her drowsy. She sighed in contentment as she rested her head on his broad shoulder and dozed off. Then suddenly he came to an abrupt halt. Bella jerked awake, peering up at him curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Jacob's face was stern but there was no hiding the hurt in his dark eyes. His gaze was fixated on the gold chain around her neck. During the course of their trip back to La Push, it had slipped out from under her shirt, and was now on full display for him to see. Bella's brain was still foggy with sleep and it took her a few seconds to realise why he was so upset. Dangling from the chain was the crystal heart that Edward had given her the night before. It gleamed in the subdued light filtering through the trees, overpowering Jacob's much simpler gift of the wooden heart charm which rested next to it.

"What's with the addition to your necklace?" He asked harshly.

Bella felt a lump lodge in her throat as she stared guiltily at the gaudy charm. "It was another graduation present."

Jacob scowled. "A rock. Figures."

"A rock? As in diamond?" Bella glanced down at the crystal heart charm.

"What did you think it was?" Jacob said irritably. "That thing must be five carats or something crazy like that."

"I didn't know." Bella said desperately. "I didn't even want it. I swear I forgot all about it. I'll take it off."

Jacob muttered something unintelligible as he began to run again.

Bella wanted to cry. She hated that she had upset him. She knew how it looked. He had poured his heart and soul into his gift and her seeming acceptance of Edward's more expensive alternative must have been like a kick in the teeth. It was quiet for a while; there was just the sound of his measured breathing and the wind roaring high above the treetops.

"Jake, I'm sorry." Bella tried again.

"Forget it, Bella."

Bella grimaced. "I thought you were supposed to be the forgiving one, and I was the grudge-holder."

Jacob shrugged. "I think you got that backwards. Remember the notes?"

"Been thinking about that time a lot, have you?"

"I've been thinking about a lot of things." Jacob admitted.

For once Bella couldn't read what he was thinking and it scared her more than she could possibly have imagined. She didn't like having this conversation under the present circumstances. He was still gripping her tightly in his too warm arms but she felt the distance growing between them all the same. She wished there was something she could do about it. She wished she could take a step back and start the conversation all over again. She kept messing up and hurting him.

"How many people have you kissed, Bells?" Jacob's question had her looking up at him in surprise.

"Edward is the only person I've ever kissed."

He was quiet for a minute, seemingly mulling over something in his head. When he spoke again he pulled Bella tighter against his chest, so that her face was closer to his. There was a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Maybe you should try kissing someone else-just for comparison's sake...I mean kissing the bloodsucker must be like kissing a statue." He gave a fake shudder. "I mean you could _kiss_ me, for example, I don't mind if you want to experiment."

Bella stared him as she floundered for an answer. She wasn't expecting this. It was such an abrupt turn after his moody response to Edward's unwanted graduation gift. Her eyes unconsciously flicked to his perfect mouth and of course he noticed right away.

"Don't mess with me, Jake." She grumbled.

The defensive edge to her voice made his dark eyes gleam brighter. "All you need to do is _ask_ me to kiss you."

"Don't hold your breath, Jake." Bella muttered, but for some reason she couldn't tear her gaze away from his lips. She cleared her throat a few times to cover up how flustered he was making her. "No, wait, I changed my mind. Go right ahead. Just hold your breath until I ask you to kiss me."

"Which won't be long by the way you're staring at me lips." Jacob gave her a mocking smile.

Bella blushed crimson because she knew it was true.

"You're in a bad mood today." Jacob said as his smile turned into a frown.

"I wonder why?"

"Sometimes I think you like me better as a wolf."

"Sometimes I do. It probably has something to do with the way you _can't talk_."

Jacob pursed his broad lips thoughtfully. "No, I don't think that's it. I think it's easier for you to be near me when I'm not human, because you don't have to pretend you're not attracted to me."

God, it was infuriating the way he knew her so well! Bella's snapped her mouth shut at once, grinding her teeth together.

Jacob heard that and his lips pulled tightly across his face in a triumphant smile. "Do you ever get tired of lying to yourself? You have to know how aware you are of me. Physically, I mean."

"How could anyone not be aware of you, Jacob?" Bella demanded. "Look at you...you're...you're..."

"Sort of beautiful?" He cut in swiftly, his smile showing that he was only teasing.

"No." Bella shook her head, her eyes turning soft as her irritation ebbed away. "You're not sort of beautiful, Jake. You are beautiful."

"Wow." Jacob breathed as he stared at Bella for a minute, slowing to a walk, the amusement draining from his face. Her sincere and honest answer had blindsided him.

Bella stared back at him, knowing exactly what he wanted as he leaned his face closer to hers, until their lips were only inches apart. "I make you nervous." He lowered his voice to a husky whisper. "But only when I'm human. That's why when I'm a wolf, you're more comfortable around me."

"Jake..." Bella murmured as she got caught up in his intense gaze.

"But...I said I would kiss you only when you asked." Jacob pulled back and laughed loudly as he started to jog again.

"You jerk!" Bella laughed along with him until it turned into more of a sob.

"What's the matter, Bells?" The joking bravado vanished from Jacob's face, making him look younger suddenly. "If something I said upset you. I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything-hey, are you okay? Don't cry, Bella." He pleaded.

Bella tried to pull herself together. "I'm not crying."

"You are crying. What did I say?"

"It's nothing you said. It's just me. I'm selfish." She wailed.

Jacob stared at her, his eyes wide with confusion.

"I don't want you to fight tomorrow." She whispered the explanation. "I want you to stay with me. I'm nothing but a huge coward."

Jacob frowned. "You think this isn't going to work? That they'll find you here? Do you know something I don't?"

"No, no. I'm not afraid of that. I just don't...I just don't want to let you go. What if you don't come back..." She shuddered, closing her eyes to escape the thought.

Jacob was quiet as she kept rambling on and on, her eyes closing in panic.

"If anyone gets hurt, it will always be my fault. And even if no one does...I'm still a horrible person. I want to convince you to stay with me, and even though I know you can't, I'll always know what I'm capable of, how selfish I really am."

Even though she was deeply ashamed of her confession, she felt a tiny bit better, getting it all off her chest. Jacob would forgive her, even if he couldn't understand.

Bella opened her eyes and looked up at Jacob. His expression was unfathomable. "There's no way I can stay behind." He said.

Bella sighed. "I know."

"That doesn't mean anything, though. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't if I could. Or that I don't love you enough to stay." He stated adamantly.

"What if I begged you to stay?"

Jacob pursed his lips for a moment, and Bella wondered if he would try to deny it. "We both know the truth. And that's only because I know you better." He said at last. "Everything is going to go without a hitch. Even if you had asked me properly and I'd said no, you wouldn't be mad at me afterwards."

"If everything goes without a hitch, you're probably right. I wouldn't be mad. But the whole time you're gone. I'll be sick with worry, Jake. Crazy with it."

"Why?" He asked gruffly. "Why does it matter to you what happens to me?"

"Don't say that. You know how much you mean to me."

Jacob smiled the old smile that she loved. "I know. In here." He put his hand over his strongly beating heart. "But you've never said it. Out loud. And I need to hear it."

Bella's breath hitched as she struggled to breathe. "I'm...I'm afraid."

"Why?" Jacob's smile faded and his eyes turned sad. "Am I not good enough?"

Those words broke Bella's heart. She reached for his face and he leaned into her touch, his eyes closing briefly. "You are more than good enough. You are my best friend in the whole world-"

Jacob sighed and opened his eyes again, his gaze drifting to the sky. A solid wall of purple-black cloud was racing in from the west, blackening the forest beneath it as it came.

"When are you just finally going to admit you're in love with me, too? I'm not saying you don't love him. I'm not stupid. But it's possible to love more than one person at a time, Bella. I've seen it in action."

"You're wrong, Jacob."

Jacob scowled, accidentally misinterpreting her meaning. "I told you I've seen it with Sam, Emily and Leah." He insisted.

"That's not love. That's imprinting."Bella said flatly.

Just then, the wind shook more fiercely through the trees around them, and it felt like it was blowing straight off a glacier. The sharp sound of wood cracking echoed off the mountain. Though the light was vanishing as the grisly cloud covered the sky, they could still see the little white specks that fluttered past them.

Jacob stepped up the pace, keeping his eyes on the ground now as he flat out sprinted. Bella curled against his chest, recoiling from the unwelcome snow.

"I understand now. What you're so afraid of." Jacob shouted above the wailing wind.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jake."

Jacob ignored her request. "You're afraid that I'm going to leave you like Sam left Leah. And like Edward left you."

"Don't, Jake!"

"But it won't happen."

"No one can guarantee that."

"I can."

Jacob dashed out into the open. In the distance the little redwood house was just visible through the gloom. More snow flurries were falling around them, but the wind was too fierce to let them settle anywhere. Jacob made one more last mad dash and they reached the sanctuary of the house. He quickly carried Bella inside and kicked the door shut on the storm brewing outside.

"That was a rush." Jacob shook the snow fakes out of his shaggy hair as he gently set Bella down on her feet. She felt a little unsteady and leaned against him for support. "You, okay?"

"I don't know." Bella breathed heavily, even though she wasn't the one who had been running. When she dared to look up at his handsome face, the tender expression in his eyes set off a thousand butterflies in her stomach. "What did you mean back there when you said you can guarantee that you won't leave me?"

"I already told you once that you are the only girl I ever see." Jacob said huskily. "Even when I try I can't see anyone else."

Bella let out a small gasp of surprise. "Have you imprinted on me, Jake? I asked you once before when you first told me about it, but you denied it. Have you been lying to me this whole time?" She accused.

Jacob laughed at the note of betrayal in her voice. "You know me better than that. I would never keep something as important as that from you."

"Then how can you guarantee anything?" Bella said in despair. "You're just as vulnerable to the imprinting thing as any of the others."

"I'm the Alpha of the pack now, Bells. Which means that I get to choose. And I choose you."

_**A/N-thanks for reading! More explanation in the next chapter...theories please!**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews! A lot of you guessed correctly. Well done!  
**_

**Part Twenty-Passion**

"I guessed something was going on." Bella said wonderingly. "I mean I could sense the dynamic had changed when you were with Embry and Quil at the party."

"You noticed that, huh?"

"Yes." Bella mused. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't want the vamps to know."

"I would never have told them." Bella was hurt by the insinuation that she would give up such an important secret to the Cullens. "I would never betray you like that if you asked me not to."

"It's not like that." Jacob said earnestly. "I trust you with all my secrets. But I also know you've been under a lot of pressure recently. I didn't want to burden you with yet another secret."

"Okay." Bella was relieved that's all it was. She frowned. "So, why the sudden change? Why have you decided to step up as Alpha now? And what about Sam?"

Jacob sighed. "Sam was the first, the oldest. It made sense for him to take charge at the time."

"I don't understand."

Jacob sighed. "It's more about the lineage, you know? Sort of old-fashioned. Why should it matter who your grandfather was, right?"

Bella remembered something he had told her a long time ago, before either of them had known anything about werewolves.

"Didn't you say that Ephraim Black was the last chief the Quileutes had?"

"Yeah, that's right. Because he was the Alpha." Jacob laughed darkly. "Crazy traditions."

Bella thought about that for a second, trying to make all the pieces fit. "But you also said that people listened to your dad more than anyone on the council, because he was Ephraim's grandson."

"Yeah..." Jacob agreed cautiously.

"Well, if that's the lineage...shouldn't you be the chief, then?"

Jacob didn't answer right away. He stared above Bella's head, avoiding her gaze.

"Jake."

"I don't know." He hedged.

"So Sam took on the responsibility of the Alpha role because he was the first." Bella continued thoughtfully. "His grandfather was Levi Uley, right? Was Levi an Alpha, too?"

"There's only one Alpha." Jacob answered automatically.

"So, what was Levi?"

"Sort of a beta I guess."

"I don't understand how you can swap roles so easily. I mean-"

Jacob finally met her confused gaze, sighing again. "I was always supposed to be the Alpha."

Bella's eyebrows pulled together. "Sam didn't want to step down when you phased?" She asked.

"Hardly. I didn't want to step up."

"Why not?"

Jacob frowned, uncomfortable with her line of questioning. "I didn't want any of it, Bella. I didn't want anything to change. I didn't want to be some legendary chief. I didn't want to be part of a pack of werewolves, let alone their leader. I wouldn't take it when Sam offered."

Bella thought about this for a few minutes. She could see the strain on his face. There was so much more to this then he was admitting. "You stepped up because of me, didn't you? You took on all this responsibility for my sake."

Jacob avoided her gaze again as he looked deliberately everywhere else but her. He walked back and forth a few paces as if steeling himself to confess something deeply personal.

Bella wasn't going to let it go. She needed to know. The guilt she was feeling was overwhelming. "Is it true?" She whispered. "Is it?"

Jacob exhaled slowly as he put an end to his pacing and looked directly at her for the first time. "I was supposed to phase first." He confessed with difficulty. "It was a shock to everyone when it happened to Sam instead of me. The Alpha is always the first to change."

Bella stayed silent and didn't interrupt as he finally began to open up.

"There have been endless debates by the elders about why it didn't happen to me first; the only conclusion they could come up with is because I...I was happy." Jacob continued. His dark eyes met hers, pleading for understanding. "The reason I was so happy was because of you. We were spending all that time together rebuilding those bikes. You coming over after school every day was the highlight of my day. My life began to revolve around seeing you. Everything else became secondary. I was in love with you, Bella, and nothing else mattered."

"Jake." Bella felt tears fill her eyes at the sincerity in his voice, the sheer vulnerability that was written all over his face.

"My phasing so late threw everything into chaos. Sam stepped up to the Alpha role simply because he was the oldest and had no choice. It was a burden he was never meant to carry, but he did the best he could." Jacob ran his fingers through his hair as he began to pace agitatedly again. "An Alpha is supposed to be focused at all times. He can't afford to be distracted by anything else in his life. But Sam was distracted-by Leah, then later the unexpected imprint with Emily. His life was in chaos and it took its toll on him, and through him, the pack. He made some bad decisions-one of them being trying to force me to stay away from you. He didn't want a repeat of what happened with Emily."

Jacob paused again as if gathering his thoughts. "I was always going to rebel. It was in my nature. There was no way I was going to be able to accept his authority indefinitely. It's in my genes." He sighed and looked toward Bella again. "I was selfish. Even though I knew what friction it was causing in the pack I refused to step up. I just wanted..." He couldn't go on and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"You wanted things to go back to how they used to be-just Jake and Bells hanging out in the Taj, sharing warm sodas and working on the bikes." Bella finished for him.

"Yeah." Jacob's tone turned wistful. "Turning wolf changed everything. I felt like I was losing myself. The only good thing about it was being able to protect you."

"I thought you were happier. That you were okay with this." Bella whispered.

Jacob smiled sadly. "I am. I mean I kept fighting it, but it's not so bad. It's even exciting sometimes. But at first it felt like being drafted into a war you didn't know existed. There was no choice, you know? And it was so final." He shrugged. "Anyway, I guess I'm glad now. It has to be done, and could I trust anyone else to get it right? It's better to make sure myself. That way I know that I'd done everything I could to keep you safe."

"Oh, Jacob." Bella reached for his hand but he avoided her touch, turning his head to one side so she couldn't see his face. "Jake?" She asked uncertainly. "Have I upset you? If I have I'm sorry."

"No." He responded roughly. "There's more, Bells. I need to get this out."

"Okay." Bella said in a small voice. She noticed the fine tremors running along his arms as he tried to control his emotions.

"I didn't just take on the Alpha role because it was better for the pack, or to help Sam out, or even to fulfil my destiny." He continued bitterly. "I did it for entirely selfish reasons." Finally he glanced at her, a look of yearning shining in his dark eyes. "I took it on only when I found out that it would finally give me some control over my life again. I took it on because it meant that I would be free to choose-"

"Choose what?" Bella prompted him gently.

"To choose who to love." Jacob whispered. "Sam imprinted because he needed a steadying influence in his life, someone who could share the impossible burden that had been placed on his shoulders. Even though Leah loved him madly, she couldn't be that for him. Emily is a homemaker, she made his life bearable, she completed him and made him a stronger man than he would have been without her."

"But Sam was Alpha and he imprinted, so how is you being Alpha any different?"

"Because I was born to lead. It's my destiny. It comes naturally to me. Even though you are constantly on my mind I am able to focus on other things. Which is the way it should be. You are my priority but when you are imprinted that person becomes your main focus-you put them above duty toward the pack, toward the tribe, toward everything. Do you understand?"

Bella nodded slowly. It made perfect sense. An imprinted Alpha couldn't fulfil his duty like an un-imprinted one, simply given that his whole life revolved around his imprint. A true Alpha had to put his duty toward the tribe, toward his pack above everything else, even the woman he loved. To do otherwise would make him vulnerable, weak, and over time would upset the harmony of the pack and would prove perilous when drawn into battle.

She stared at him, feeling an unexpected kind of awe in his presence. She had noticed the changes in him, but now they were even more obvious. It was in the way he carried himself, his bearing. He was more of a grown up than she could ever be. The burdens that had been placed upon him had matured him in ways she could never fathom. Like with Billy at the bonfire the other night, there was majesty there that she had never suspected until now.

"Chief, Jacob." She murmured as she stepped forward and placed her hands on either side of his face. She looked deep into his eyes, seeing in them the need for reassurance. "You are so brave. And I am so fucking proud of you."

Her expletive broke the tension and made him laugh. Jacob swept her up into a bear hug, his strong arms wrapping around her and lifting her off the floor. She tucked her face in the crook of his neck and smiled.

* * *

Just then the wind shook more fiercely through the trees surrounding the house. The sharp sound of wood cracking echoed outside. Jacob reluctantly put Bella down and headed to the window to look outside. He didn't like what he saw. The sky-now black with the storm, sprinkled with the swirling bits of snow. His nostrils flared.

"I'm going to change." He said to Bella. "I need to check in with the pack. Cullen will know by now that we're not at the meeting place. There could be trouble. I'll be back."

Jacob leaned down and brushed his warm lips across her forehead in goodbye for a while, before running out into the storm.

* * *

The howl that tore through the air thirty minutes later was like a tornado, both strange and familiar. Strange because Bella had never heard such a tortured cry before. Familiar because she knew the voice at once-she recognised the sound and understood the meaning as perfectly as if she'd uttered it herself. It made no difference that Jacob was not human when he cried out. She needed no translation.

Jacob was somewhere close. Jacob was in agony. The howl choked off into a peculiar gurgled sob, and then it was quiet again. Alarmed, Bella shoved her feet into some boots and ran out into the storm, with her heart racing and stomach twisted into knots. She gasped as the chilly air stabbed at her exposed skin like a thousand knives.

There was less snow than she thought considering the storm was at its height. She fought to see in the murky gloom. A small scream left her lips when she stumbled across one of the wolves lurking in the shadows not too far from the forest's edge. She recognised Seth Clearwater. Jacob must have posted him as a guard outside the house while he was gone.

Seth's sand-coloured fur was almost invisible in the darkness, but she could see the bright gleam of his eyes. He was staring at her with what she imagined was an accusation.

"Where's Jacob?" She demanded shakily.

Seth just continued to stare at her with the same expression.

"Please, Seth." Bella pleaded, she was openly crying now. The sound of Jacob's agony cut at her, somewhere deep in her chest. Deep in her heart. "Can he see me? Seth, can he see me through your eyes?"

The sandy wolf gave a subtle nod of his head.

"Jake, can you see me? Can you hear me? Please, come back. I need you. I don't know what's happened, but I know you are in pain. Please, please!"

Seth began whimpering. He stood up, trotting toward the edge of the trees, and pointing his nose alertly back to the west. His ears laid back and he whined again.

A cold trickle of fear began to ooze down Bella's spine as she began to fret whether Jacob had come across Edward. She knew that Edward would be furious and feeling betrayed that neither of them had turned up at the campsite at the appointed time. He would have flown back down that mountain like a wild thing in pursuit of them. It would have been easy for him to track their journey from the original meeting place. He would know that Jacob had taken her to La Push.

What if Seth's distress had something to do with Edward and Jacob fighting. What if they were fighting with each other, far away somewhere in the forest? They wouldn't do that, would they? Not an on the eve of such an important battle.

With sudden chilling certainty Bella realised they would-if the wrong words were said. She thought about their previous intense stand offs, and how close they had come to clashing physically in the past.

The ice locked around her heart at the thought of Jacob getting hurt. Before she could collapse with fear, Seth grumbled deep in his chest, and then turned away from the forest to trot to Bella's side.

"What's happening?" She begged him.

Seth's ears perked forward. Bella looked around, but saw nothing. God, she was feeling so frustrated. If Seth didn't cut it out soon and tell her what was going on she was going to throw something at him.

Then he growled, low in his throat, making Bella jump with fright.

"It's just me, Seth." Jacob called from a distance.

Bella's heart kicked into gear when she heard Jacob's voice. Seth dipped his head and trotted off back to his post, hiding in the shadows again, leaving her alone with Jacob. His expression was forbidding, stern. Then abruptly he turned his back on her.

"Jake." Bella's voice cracked as she spoke.

"Just say the words and be done with it." Jacob said coldly, his back still facing her.

"I don't understand." Bella whispered brokenly.

Jacob laughed derisively. "You could have told me before I bothered to pour my heart out to you."

"I don't und-"

"Your bloodsucker had great pleasure in filling me in about your engagement." Jacob cut in sarcastically.

"You've seen E...Edward?"

What a stupid question? Of course he had. Edward must have gone straight to the treaty line. Or had he crossed it in his desperation to get to her? She swallowed thickly and tried to get her chaotic emotions under control.

"I'm sorry I'm such a rotten person." She whispered helplessly. "I'm sorry I've been so selfish. Sometimes I wish I'd never met you so I couldn't hurt you the way I have."

"So, you're not denying it then?" Jacob said bitterly.

"Denying what?" Bella was muddled and confused. Everything had unravelled so quickly.

"I should have guessed." Jacob muttered. "Once I saw the equivalent of the fucking Hope diamond hanging from your neck."

"I told you I didn't w-"

"Save it, Bella." He sighed heavily. "You don't have to say anything else. I understand." He stood quietly for a moment staring at the ground. And then his head snapped up. "What I don't get is why you agreed with the plan to let me bring you here. Was it your last chance to tell me goodbye all over again?"

His words sank into her brain, slowly, one by one, and she couldn't breathe. Despite her best intentions everything was crashing and burning around her. The memory of the last night she had spent with Edward pulled her under, the crystal heart charm was like a weight around her neck. She felt like she was drowning under the heavy weight of her despair.

"Oh, no, Jake! No, no, no." She choked out in horror. Her knees began to tremble. "Jacob, I'm begging you. You've got it wrong."

"How can I trust you?"

"Because you know me. At least I thought you did." She said faintly.

Jacob finally turned around to face her. He appeared calm except for the turbulent light in his eyes. "I love you, Bella." He murmured.

"I...I love you, too." She whispered brokenly.

A sad smile tugged at his lips. "I know that better than you do. But empty words are not enough anymore."

He turned to walk away.

"Don't go. Just stay. Please. Don't walk away like this!" Bella cried in anguish. "I'll do anything. Anything you want, Jacob. Just don't leave me like this!"

Jacob paused, turning slowly.

"I can't play these games anymore, Bella. I deserve better than that."

"I know you do. I can show you."

"How?" He asked softly.

It took Bella a second to grasp what she needed to do. As soon as the realisation hit, though, she blurted out the words. "Will you kiss me, Jacob?"

Jacob's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed suspiciously. "You're bluffing."

"Kiss me, Jacob." Bella said more determinedly. "Stay and kiss me."

He hesitated in the shadows, warring with himself, not sure whether to believe what she was saying was real. He half turned as if to walk away again, but his feet didn't move. Slowly, he took one uncertain step in her direction, and then another, then finally he lurched forward, closing the distance between them in three long strides.

* * *

Jacob's hands caught her face and his lips found hers eagerly. One hand moved to the nape of her neck, the other pulling her toward him. Bella's arms found their way around his neck, she grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and brought his mouth closer to hers and she was kissing him. Her lips moved with his in strange, confusing ways they'd never moved before-because she didn't have to be careful with Jacob, and he certainly wasn't being careful with her.

Bella's fingers tightened in his hair. Jacob was everywhere. The piercing warmth turned her eyelids red, and the colour fit, matched the heat. The heat was everywhere. She couldn't see or hear or feel anything that wasn't Jacob.

Her hands clung to his shoulders, and liked that they were wide and strong. That his hands pulled her too tight against his body, and yet it wasn't tight enough.

Jacob was right . He'd been right all along. He had always been more than her best friend. That's why it had always been impossible to tell him goodbye when Edward came back into her life-because she was in love with him. She loved him more than she thought possible. His pain had always been her pain-now his joy was her joy.

She broke the kiss, breathing heavily as she stared up into his beautiful eyes which were brimming with passion. Slowly, she uncurled one hand from his shoulder and reached down to unclip Edward's crystal heart charm from the necklace and held it up in front of her. The many facets of the diamond sparkled, dazzling her for a few seconds.

Then she threw it away.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty One-Victoria and Riley**

Jacob couldn't stop touching her face, her hands, her hair. It was like he couldn't believe she was real. He kept smiling. It was the same, bright, happy smile that he used to greet her with whenever she came to La Push. It was a smile that lifted her spirits, raised her hopes and made her believe that anything was possible. Bella was crying with joy.

When Jacob kissed her again, she responded with a quiet moan. For one brief, never-ending second, an entirely different path that she could never have imagined expanded behind the lids of her tear wet eyes. As if she were looking through the filter of Jacob's thoughts she could see Charlie and Renee mixed into a strange collage with Billy, Sam and La Push. She could see years passing, and meaning something as they passed, changing her. Bella could see the enormous red-brown wolf that she loved, always standing as protector when she needed him. For the tiniest fraction of a second, she saw the bobbing heads of two small, black haired children, running away from her toward the familiar redwood house that had become her sanctuary. When they disappeared they took the vision with them.

And then, quite distinctly, she felt the splintering fissures in her heart beginning to close, as the two halves became a whole. A feeling of peace and contentment washed over her, and it brought with it a sense of belonging, something she had never felt in her entire life before. Jacob's lips were still before hers were. Bella opened her eyes to find him staring at her with wonder and elation.

"I have to leave." He whispered.

"No."

Jacob smiled, pleased by her response. "I won't be long." He promised. "But one thing first..."

He bent to kiss her again. His hands were soft on her face and his warm lips were gentle. It was brief and very, very sweet. His arms curled around her, and he hugged her securely while he whispered in her ear.

"That was worth waiting for. I love you, Bells."

Against his chest, where he couldn't see, Bella's tears of happiness welled up and spilled over.

* * *

Jacob had left joyfully-with a cheerful "I'll be right back"-running full tilt for the clearing, already quivering as he prepared to shift to his other self. It had been fifteen minutes since he'd left, and by now Bella guessed the whole pack knew everything. Seth Clearwater, pacing up and down outside the house, had been an intimate witness to their passionate kisses. He wasn't the only one-Brady and Colin-were hidden somewhere nearby.

"I'm only human." Bella called out to Seth as he shot her a wolfy grin when he saw her looking in his direction. She blushed crimson and laughed nervously. "Does everyone know?" She asked.

The sandy wolf's muzzle parted as he gave the wolf equivalent of a laugh. He must have found her ridiculously funny as his whole body was shaking with the effort.

"It's not that funny." Bella huffed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to compose herself before opening them again. Seth Clearwater's large eyes were still regarding her with amusement. "You wait until it happens to you, Seth. One day you'll meet the one and you'll turn into a romantic sap, too."

Seth's eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head back and forth in denial. Bella laughed under her breath, thinking how absurd she was being. She kept forgetting that underneath all that muscle and sandy fur, was a fourteen year old kid.

"I'm sorry, Seth. I'm just teasing."

Suddenly Seth stiffened. He whipped around, howling stridently, making Bella shiver with the eerie sound. Her left hand clenched into a fist, nails biting into her palm. Seth started to whimper.

"What's going on, Seth?" Bella demanded, feeling annoyed that she couldn't see into his mind.

Seth was panting heavily now. Whatever he was seeing through the pack mind, he looked like he was desperate to join in. He whined again in frustration. Similar sounds of frustration came from the other young wolves-Brady and Colin- who were still hidden in the shadowy trees.

It felt like hours passed as Bella stood tensely next to Seth Clearwater, watching his every reaction with anxious eyes. She was terrified to the point of nausea that something might go wrong in the clearing. She was about to open her mouth to demand that Seth phase back so he could tell her what the hell was going on, when the atmosphere changed.

The sandy wolf suddenly maintained a defensive position in front of her-ears perked forward, nostrils quivering-testing the air with his superior senses. Bella knew that something was coming.

"Who?" She whispered, keeping close behind Seth.

Seth's body shifted-but only infinitesimally, but it told Bella where to look. She stared at the black shadows of the forest.

It was like having her nightmares walk forward to greet her as two vampires edged slowly into view, eyes intent, missing nothing. They glistened like diamonds in the sun.

Bella could barely look at the blonde boy-yes, he was just a boy, though he was muscled and tall, maybe no older than she was when he changed. His eyes-a more vivid red than she had ever seen before-could not hold hers. Though he was the closest to Seth, the nearest danger, she could not watch him.

Because, a few feet to the side and a few feet back, Victoria was staring at her.

Victoria's orange hair was brighter than Bella remembered, more like a flame. The wind had died down, but the fire around her face seemed to shimmer slightly, as if it was alive.

Her eyes were black with thirst. She did not smile, as she always had in Bella's nightmares-her lips were pressed into a tight line. There was a striking feline quality to the way she held her coiled body, a lioness waiting for an opening to spring. Her restless, wild eyes flickered between Bella and Seth, but never rested on him for more than half a second. She seemed unable to keep her eyes off of Bella face anymore than Bella could keep hers from Victoria.

Tension rolled off her in waves, nearly visible in the air. Bella could feel the desire, the all-consuming passion that held her in its grip. She was so close to what she wanted-the focus of her whole existence for more than a year now was just so close.

Bella's death.

Victoria's plan was so obvious as it was practical. The big blonde boy would attack Seth. As soon as Seth was distracted, Victoria would finish Bella

Bella's heart beat loudly with fear, as an immense distance away, from far across the forest, a furious wolf's howl echoed up in the still air. Bella knew it was Jacob. He had seen everything that was going on through Seth's eyes.

The blond boy looked toward Victoria from the corner of his eye, waiting for her command. He was young, in more ways than one. Bella guessed from his brilliant crimson irises that he couldn't have been a vampire for very long. He would be strong, but inept. Seth was younger, but just as strong, but his fighting experience was limited.

Bella felt her stomach twist into knots as she stared at the blonde boy. She was sure she recognised his face from somewhere. Out of nowhere a vision of one of Charlie's missing person posters popped into her head, the boy staring out at her from the photo was wearing the same face as the blonde vampire's.

Victoria jerked her chin toward Seth, wordlessly urging the blonde boy forward.

"You're Riley. Riley Beers." Bella said in a soft, pleading voice.

The blonde boy froze, his red eyes widening in surprise.

Seth kept up his protective stance in front of Bella as she carried on talking rapidly. "She's lying to you, Riley. Whatever she's promised you, whatever she's said, she's lying. Just like she lied to all the others who are dying now in the clearing."

Confusion swept across Riley's face.

Seth shifted a few inches to the side, and Riley automatically adjusted his own movements to compensate.

"She doesn't care about you, Riley." Bella's gentle voice belied the panic that she was feeling inside. "She doesn't care about anybody but herself. She's doing this all for James. He was her mate. Did she tell you that? Do you even know the real reason why you are here? You're no more than a tool to her."

When Bella's spoke James' name, Victoria's lips pulled back in a teeth-baring grimace. Her eyes stayed locked on Bella.

Riley cast a frantic glance in Victoria's direction.

It was all the hesitation that Seth needed. The sandy wolf lunged forward and struck Riley right in his chest, throwing him to the ground with the full force of his weight.

* * *

While Seth was battling with Riley, Brady and Colin shot out of the trees like twin bullets. They had been waiting quietly in the shadows until the best time to strike. Brady's ashy-brown fur glinted in the subdued light as he began to stalk Victoria from the right. Colin, his reddish-brown fur longer than Brady's, came up on Victoria's left side. They growled in unison, eyes narrowed with hate.

"You think you can take me on?" Victoria jeered, doing her best to mask her surprise at the young wolves unexpected appearance.

Bella's mouth fell open in shock at the sound of Victoria's voice. It wasn't the strong, cat-like growl she expected but a soft babyish soprano. It was almost laughable.

Victoria's body was trembling, she was so tightly wound. Her fingers were ready claws, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

There was a ferocious snarl. A massive russet shape flew through the centre of Brady and Colin. The young shifters withdrew automatically as their Alpha made his appearance. He jumped on Victoria, slamming her violently to the ground.

"NOOOO!" Victoria screamed, her baby voice shrill with disbelief as the Alpha wolf's sharp teeth bit deep into her neck.

While Jacob was dealing with Victoria, young Brady and Colin dived in to help Seth instead. Bella fell back, her eyes open wide with awe as she watched the wolves rip the vampires apart.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	22. Chapter 22

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty Two-Bella's Confession**

Bella watched in silent horror as Jacob and the younger wolves methodically dismembered the headless corpses of Riley and Victoria. They piled the twitching limbs and then covered them with dry wood and leaves. She noticed Jacob pull a black rectangle from the pocket of his shorts. He flipped open the butane lighter and held the flame to the dry tinder. It caught at once; long tongues of orange fire licked rapidly across the pyre.

"Get every piece." Jacob said in a low voice to Seth and the others.

Together, they scoured the immediate area, occasionally tossing small lumps of what seemed like white stone into the blaze. Bella continued to watch, her frazzled brain trying to catch up with what had just happened.

And then they were done.

The raging fire was sending a pillar of choking purple smoke toward the sky. The thick smoke curled up slowly, looking more solid than it should; it smelled like burning incense, and the scent was uncomfortable. It was heavy, too strong. It was definitely affecting the wolves as they looked nauseous.

Jacob seemed to relax when it was done. He turned to his brothers, a smile flickering across his face. He stretched out his arm, his hand curled into a fist. Seth, Brady and Colin grinned as they bumped fists together.

"Nice work, guys." Jacob praised them.

Bella could see the boys chests puff up with pride at their Alpha's compliment. She knew they had been frustrated at being left behind and missing all the action. Now they had been in the midst of it, killing the leaders no less. She expected they would be boasting about it for days afterwards.

Then Jacob took a deep breath, and slowly turned to face Bella. She stared at him, not understanding his expression. He seemed wary, his dark eyes filled with worry. What was he worried about? Bella continued to stare at him, her mind and body struck dumb.

"Bella, honey." Jacob said in his softest tone, walking toward her slowly, still wary. She looked at him approach, still dazed and confused.

"You don't have to be afraid, Bells." Jacob continued in the same gentle tone. "You're safe. I won't hurt you." He walked forward another few paces. "It's going to be alright, honey. I know you're frightened now, but it's all over. I wished that you hadn't had to see all that. I'm sorry."

Bella's eyes blinked furiously. What was he apologising for? She finally found her voice. "Why do you keep saying that? What are you saying sorry for?" She took an unsteady step in his direction, and he stopped his approach, hesitating. "What's wrong?" She whispered, not understanding why he was acting this way.

"Are you..." Jacob's dark eyes were filled with confusion suddenly. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you? Of you? Why would you think that?"

Bella staggered forward another few steps, and then tripped over something-her own damn feet probably. Jacob caught her, and she buried her face in his chest and started to sob. "You're okay. Thank god you're okay. That you all are."

"Oh, honey." Jacob said huskily. "It's over now."

"I'm fine." Bella gasped. "I'm just. Freaking out. Give me a minute."

Jacob tightened his arms around her, pressing a soft kiss into her hair.

Bella clung to him until she found she could breathe again, and then she was kissing him-his chest, his shoulder, his neck-every part of him she could reach. The young shifters snickered in the background, but Bella didn't care that she had an audience. She only cared that Jacob was alright.

"Are you okay?" She demanded between kisses. "Did she hurt you at all?"

"I am absolutely fine. Not even a scratch." Jacob promised as he buried his face into her hair.

"Seth, are you okay?" Bella called out.

"I'm all good." Seth called back.

"Brady?"

"I am absolutely fine. Not even a scratch." Brady said cheekily, copying his Alpha.

Bella felt like laughing when Jacob shot the youngster an annoyed look. "Colin?" She asked.

"I'm awesome. Did you see my moves, Bella?" Colin boasted.

"I did! I did!" Bella was crying again, but these were tears of relief. "You were all amazing! Come here." She pushed away from Jacob and opened up her arms to them.

"Seriously, Bells." Jacob grumbled as the three eager young pups barrelled towards her, nearly knocking her off her feet as they swept her up into a group hug.

Bella kissed each of them on the cheek and stepped back, looking at each of them with pride. "My brave boys." She murmured.

Jacob rolled his eyes at the besotted looks on the youngsters faces. He knew that Bella had no idea that she had just gained a fan club for life. He glared at them, ordering them with a stern look to back off a little. Seth, Brady and Colin reacted at once, making sure to put a safe distance between them and their Alpha's girl.

Bella gasped again as she thought about the rest of the pack who were still fighting the newborns with the Cullens. "What about the others?"

"All fine." Jacob reassured her with a smile. He draped his arm around her and tucked her into his side. "It went just as smoothly as we planned. I think we got the worst of it here. When I left it was pretty much all over."

Bella let herself absorb this information for a minute, let it sink in and settle in her head. Her family and friends were safe. Victoria was never coming after her again. It really was over. Everyone was going to be fine. But she couldn't completely take in the good news while she was so confused about something.

"Tell me why." She insisted. "Tell me why you acted so odd earlier. Why did you think I would be afraid of you?"

"I'm sorry." Jacob sighed, apologising yet again-for what? Bella had no idea. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to see that. _See me_ like that. I know I must have terrified you."

Bella processed what he was saying, she thought about the hesitant way he'd approached her, his hands in the air. Like she was going to bolt if he moved too fast...

"Seriously?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You thought...what? That you'd scared me off?" She snorted with laughter.

Jacob put his hand under her chin and tilted her head so he could see her face better. He was fighting a smile of his own. "I just beheaded and dismembered a vampire not twenty yards from you. That doesn't bother you?"

"Not really. I was only afraid for you, Seth, Colin and Brady." Bella shrugged, very blasé.

"You rock, Bella!" Seth quipped.

"She is so cool!" Colin breathed.

"Burn!" Brady cut up laughing.

Jacob rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling. He was flying, they all were-the relief was making Bella lightheaded. It was over. Or was it?

Her relief quickly dissolved into panic. What was she going to say to Edward? Her heart throbbed a painful beat at the thought of having to face him, as the memory of her last night spent in his company sent her mood crashing down. It was hard to believe, almost impossible, but the hardest part of the day was not behind her.

Jacob could read her like a book, though he didn't know the full reason behind her sudden change in mood. He looked up at the brightening sky. White clouds scudded across the surface, the wind was light now the storm had passed.

"We need to be on our way..." He said reluctantly. He glanced at the three boys who were watching them curiously. "You go on ahead. Bella and I will be right behind you."

Seth, Brady and Colin ran full tilt toward the forest, throwing many glances behind them, before they transformed into their wolf forms and disappeared under the umbrella of trees.

When they were gone, Jacob turned to face Bella. He took her face between his warm palms and looked her straight in the eyes. "Now tell me exactly what is going on? You're afraid of something. Is it Cullen?" He guessed, his dark eyes narrowing. "What the hell did he do?"

* * *

Jacob was furious, she could see it in every line of his body. He was doing a remarkable job of containing it, though. When she had finished her rushed explanation of what had happened the last time she had seen Edward, he had drawn her into his strong arms, holding her gently like she was made of china or something.

Bella hadn't really had a chance to process what had Edward had done. It was tantamount to assault. She remembered saying no over and over again, but he barely listened as he rode roughshod over her objections, getting caught up in a sexual frenzy of his own making. It was only when she had screamed at him that he stopped and became fully aware of his actions. He had fled the room, disgusted with himself, before returning a few hours later, remorseful, but once again intent on getting his own way as he tried to extract a promise of marriage from her.

"Jake, I-" His name came out in a sob.

"I'm going to take care of it, Bells. You won't have to see him again." Jacob murmured. His voice was gentle but his face was hard.

"You...you have to...to be careful. The Volt..." Bella stammered with fear as she clung tightly to him.

"I will be careful. I know that we can't take any risks when it comes to the Volturi. I won't be the one dealing with him, Bella. Even though I would get great pleasure out of ripping his head from his body." Jacob growled. He breathed deeply to calm himself down. The last thing Bella needed was for him to lose control. "I can't imagine his family will be happy when they hear about what he's done."

"You're going to tell Carlisle and the others?"

Bella closed her eyes as she imagined the tortured look on their faces. This would affect Carlisle and Esme the hardest. They adored Edward...as for Rosalie? Bella flinched as she envisioned what the beautiful blonde's reaction would be-considering what she had endured herself when she was human-it wouldn't only be Jacob who would get pleasure out of ripping Edward's head from his body.

_**A/N-thanks for reading! **_


	23. Chapter 23

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty Three-Bella Speaks Up**

Pillars of purple smoke were still curling up to the sky when Jacob and Bella arrived at the clearing. The incense like smell was so strong that it burned the back of Bella's throat when she breathed. She coughed a few times as the choking smoke from several pyres continued to drift in her direction. Jacob stopped within the cover of the trees, lowering his huge body to the ground so Bella could slip off his back easily.

As soon as she was safely on her feet he left to find some cover so he could change into his human form. Bella felt nervous when he was gone-even though she knew that the wolf pack was nearby- she could see their shadowy forms flitting through the trees. It wasn't long before Jacob was by her side again, his chest bare and a pair of cut off sweats hanging low on his hips. He smiled when he saw her, his hand automatically reaching for hers.

"You okay?" He checked.

"I am now you're here." Bella returned his smile bravely, gaining courage from his solid presence.

Jacob drew her with him to the edge of the tree line. From this vantage point they got a good look at the scene in front of them. The Cullens stood in a loose semicircle around one of the bonfires. There were hardly any flames visible, just the thick purple-black smoke, hovering like a disease against the bright grass. Bella noticed Edward standing closest to the solid-seeming haze, in its shadow so that his skin didn't glitter brilliantly in the sun the way the others did. He had his back to her, his shoulders tense.

"I can't-" Bella whispered to Jacob, panicking.

"We're downwind from the bloodsuckers, they can't smell your scent." Jacob squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I made sure of that."

Bella took a deep breath as she tried to compose herself. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She hadn't had time to prepare herself mentally for seeing Edward again. Jacob had wanted her to stay behind in La Push while he spoke to the Cullens, but Bella felt like doing so would be the cowards way out. She needed to be here, even if Jacob did all the talking, she wanted to look Edward in the eyes and for him to see how much he had hurt her.

"I'll go out and talk to-" Jacob began to say.

An ear-splitting howl-full of pain and anguish-echoed around the clearing. Bella let out a panicked cry as Jacob instantly reacted to the tormented sound. He transformed on the fly, his great paws tearing up the earth as he responded to one of his own in trouble. Bella was forced to watch him leave in agonised silence. The Cullens were already running toward the trees on the other side of the clearing, only Edward and Alice remained behind. More howls rent the air, one after the other, as the rest of the pack answered the despairing howls with their own. Together they filled the still air with their distressed singing.

Before Bella could process what was happening Edward was by her side. She cried out in fright at his sudden appearance, shrinking away from him when he tried to touch her face.

"Shh, Bella, shh. It's all going to be fine." He crooned.

Bella could hear her breathing getting faster, but she couldn't control it.

"What happened?" She whispered. "Why are the pack howling? Is someone hurt?"

Edward hesitated.

"Edward! Tell me!" She screamed at him.

"It was all over." He said so quietly she could barely hear him over the constant howling. "The wolves didn't count their half...they thought they had them all. Of course, Alice couldn't see..."

"See what?"

"One of the newborns was hiding...Leah found him-she was being stupid, cocky, trying to prove something. She engaged him alone..."

"Leah." Bella repeated as her throat tightened in agony at the thought of any of the pack getting hurt. "Is she going to be okay?"

The wolves howls were fading into the distance now.

"Leah wasn't hurt in the end." Edward mumbled. "But someone else was."

Bella stared at him for a long second. "Who?" She asked, but of course she already knew the answer.

"Jacob." Edward said carefully.

Bella felt herself slipping off the edge she was clinging to inside her head.

Everything went black.

* * *

The first thing she was aware of was cool hands touching her. More than one pair of hands. Arms holding her, a palm curved to fit her cheek, fingers stroking her forehead, and more fingers pressed lightly into her wrist.

Then she became aware of voices. They were just a humming at first, and then they grew in volume and clarity like someone turning up a radio.

"Carlisle-it's been five minutes." Edward's voice, anxious.

"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward." Carlisle's voice, always so calm and sure had a frustrated edge to it. "She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself."

But Bella's mind wasn't protected. It was trapped in the knowledge that Jacob was hurt-perhaps badly. She felt disconnected from her body. Like she was caged in some small corner of her head, no longer at the controls. But she couldn't do anything about it. The agony was too strong for that. There was no escape from it.

Jacob.

_Jacob._

No, no, no, no, no...

She woke up screaming.

* * *

"Bella, dearest." Esme's soft voice was comforting. "Can you hear me? You're safe now."

_No, she was far from safe. _

Cool lips were at her ear, and Edward was speaking the words that only increased her agony. She didn't want him anywhere near her. She wanted to escape the torture that had been inflicted on her, she wanted to escape her own head.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She yelled at him, finally finding her voice.

"Please, calm down, my dear." Esme again, pleading this time. "Jacob is going to live, Bella. He is healing as we speak. He'll be fine in time."

As her pain and dread eased at this news, she finally found that she had control of her limbs again. She sat up, her breathing ragged.

"Oh, Bella." Edward sighed in relief, he leaned forward his lips touching hers.

"I said get away!" Bella snapped at him. He jumped back from her like she had slapped him. Bella ignored him and turned to Esme, who was looking a little shocked. "Jacob is okay?" She asked.

"Yes." Esme promised warily.

Bella watched her eyes carefully for some sign that Esme was placating her, but they were perfectly clear.

"I examined him myself." Carlisle came into view. His expression was serious and reassuring at the same time. It was impossible for Bella to doubt him. "His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady. As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to get him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier."

"What happened to him?" Bella whispered brokenly."How bad are his injuries?"

Carlisle's face was serious again. "Another wolf was in trouble-"

"Leah." Bella breathed as she began to remember.

"Yes. He knocked her out of the way, but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right half of his body were shattered."

Bella flinched in anguish.

"Sam and Paul got there in time. He was already improving when they took him back to La Push."

"He'll be back to normal?" Bella checked.

"Yes, Bella, he won't have any permanent damage."

Bella took a deep breath and finally managed to stand. "I need to go to La Push. One of the wolves can take me."

"The wolves are all gone, Bella." Edward stood close, one hand hovering near her face. He refrained from touching her, though.

"All of the pack? Why?" Bella asked in astonishment. Surely they wouldn't abandon her here.

"Didn't you tell her, Edward?" Carlisle frowned at his adopted son.

"There wasn't time. She fainted as soon as she heard that the dog was injured." Edward countered irritably.

"Tell me what?" Bella was getting desperate.

Carlisle sighed heavily. "They had to leave quickly. The Volturi do not honour truces with werewolves."

Bella stared around at the Cullens in horror as her nightmares came back to haunt her. "The Volturi are here?"

"The Volturi decided it was time to intercede." Carlisle explained. "We knew there was a good probability of this happening. Earlier this morning, Alice saw it."

_The Volturi._

This was all too much for Bella's exhausted mind to cope with. She put a hand to her head in despair. The hits just kept on coming.

"Don't panic, Bella love." Edward's voice was soft like velvet. "They aren't coming for us. It's just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up this kind of mess. Nothing momentous, they're merely doing their job. Of course, they seem to have timed their arrival very carefully. Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had reduced the size of our family. I'll know for sure what they were thinking when they get to the clearing."

"Perhaps they were hoping the newborns would take you out." Bella said scathingly, her brown eyes alight with anger.

"Bella!" Edward gasped, reeling away from her as if she had physically slapped him again.

"Why would you say such a cruel thing?" Esme sounded close to tears even though her eyes were dry.

"Because I'm tired...so tired of it all. I am sick of sparing his feelings when he's the one who brought all this trouble to our door. I could have died today if it wasn't for Jake and the others-"

"You wouldn't have been in any danger at all if the dog hadn't gone rogue and just stuck to the plan." Edward retaliated in a hurt tone. "How can you defend him when he put your life at risk in the first place? As soon as I found out what he'd done I went straight to the treaty line and confronted him."

"It was you leaving your scent everywhere that probably led Victoria straight to La Push and to me. She would have guessed that where you were I would be as well. She probably tracked you all the way there and put two and two together."

Bella was working herself up into a hysterical state. She didn't break quietly, it was like every atom of her being screamed in unison, traumatised with everything that had happened to her. She unleashed the full force of her fury on Edward like a hurricane.

"If you hadn't gone to the Volturi in the first place then none of this would be happening right now. This is your fault. All of it. Now the pack could be in danger too if the Volturi become aware of them..."

"They will be fine, Bella." Carlisle cut in swiftly before Edward could respond. He could see she had worked herself up into an emotional state and was desperate to calm her down. "The Volturi won't recognise their scent-they won't realise the wolves are here; this isn't the species they're familiar with. The pack will be fine. You will be fine. Edward will be fine. We all will."

"It's true, Bella." Edward added softly, his jaw was tight with suffering. He gazed at her pleadingly for understanding and forgiveness. He paused, his eyes flickering to the north end of the clearing. "They are coming."

Bella's heart burst into a wild sprint as she scanned the clearing, but she couldn't see anything past the thick pall of smoke. She longed for Jacob and his comforting arms.

Carlisle and Jasper began to back toward the rest of the group. Emmet and Rosalie appeared. The whole coven converged hastily around where Bella stood with Edward. They presented a united front, with Bella at the heart of it, in the safest place.

Edward caught her hand and held it steadfastly in his own. "I will protect you, Bella." He promised.

"You are the one I need protection from. I haven't forgotten what happened the other night, even if you want to gloss over the details." Bella blazed quietly. She saw with satisfaction that her barb had hit home as his eyes slid guiltily to hers.

"I apologised for that." Edward whispered frantically. "We agreed to put it behind us."

"I will never forgive you for the way you physically and emotionally manipulated me, Edward." Bella retorted in a low voice.

The other Cullens glanced behind them uneasily several times at Edward and Bella. They could clearly hear every word that was being exchanged. Rosalie was openly glaring at Edward, her whole demeanour hostile.

"Now is not the time for this." Edward whispered harshly. His eyes were locked straight ahead. "We'll talk later."

Bella wanted to snatch her hand out of his, but he was holding it too tightly. Instead she had to settle for staring into the distance. All she could see was smoke-dense, oily smoke low to the ground, rising lazily, undulating against the grass.

It billowed forward, darker in the middle.

"Well, well." A dead voice murmured from the mist.

Bella recognised the apathy at once as Jane and her cohorts made their way toward the Cullens.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty Four-Bella, Jane and Rosalie**

"Welcome, Jane." Edward's voice was coolly courteous.

The dark shapes came closer, separating themselves from the haze, solidifying. Jane was in the front-the darkest cloak, almost black, and the smallest figure by more than two feet. Bella could barely make out Jane's angelic features in the shade of the cowl she had covering her face.

The four gray-shrouded figures hulking behind her were somewhat familiar. Bella was sure she recognised the biggest one, and while she stared, trying to confirm her suspicion, Felix looked up. He let his hood fall back slightly and to her surprise he winked at her and smiled. Bella was shocked by this gesture and turned to look uneasily at Edward, who was standing very still by her side, tightly in control.

Jane's gaze moved slowly across the luminous faces of the Cullens before finally resting on Bella. A slight frown marred her smooth forehead as she regarded Bella thoughtfully with reddened eyes.

"And here you are...still human." Jane's voice was toneless, but not quite as uninterested as before.

No one responded to this statement. Jane turned her laser-like stare onto Carlisle instead. She shook her head infinitesimally, and then composed her features into one of boredom.

"Aro hoped we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards. You were always a personal favourite of his." Jane's top lip curled slightly, her sarcasm obvious.

Carlisle nodded. "I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him."

"Of course." Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated. Her smile was more chilling than her former apathy. She looked toward the smoke curling upwards from the myriad bonfires. "It appears that you've done our work for us today...for the most part." Her eyes flicked to Bella, narrowing slightly. "Just out of professional courtesy, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle."

"Nineteen." Carlisle answered.

Jane's eyes widened again, and she looked toward the fires, seeming to reassess her current thinking. Felix and the other shadow guard exchanged a longer glance filled with suspicion.

"Nineteen?" Jane repeated, her tone was disbelieving.

"All brand new." Carlisle said dismissively. "They were unskilled."

Bella felt sickened at all those innocents who had lost their lives to Victoria's revenge. She couldn't believe Carlisle was being so blasé about the whole thing-but then perhaps it was all an act for Jane's benefit.

"All?" Jane's voice turned sharp. "Then who was their creator?"

"Her name was Victoria." Edward was the one who answered this time. He showed no emotion in his voice as he stared Jane down.

"Was?" Jane asked.

Edward inclined his head toward the eastern forest. Jane's eyes followed the direction of his movement and focused on something far in the distance. She stared to the east for a long moment, and then examined the closest bonfire again.

"This Victoria-she was in addition to the nineteen here?"

"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as the newborns, but no older than a year."

"Twenty one." Jane breathed. "Who dealt with the creator?"

"I did." Edward lied.

Bella's eyes snapped to his face, her nails digging into the palm of her hand as she watched him take credit for Victoria's death. She scowled angrily at him.

Bella's look didn't go unnoticed by Jane. Her eyes narrowed and a sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You do know that if you are caught lying to the Volturi guard that the crime is punishable by death." She sneered.

Suddenly a tortured scream left Edward's lips. It was ear-piercing; his body arched stiffly into a distorted supernatural position. Bella felt tears prick at her eyes as she stepped back and looked away. This scene was too reminiscent of her time in the Volturi stronghold. The last time she had begged for Edward's absolution, but this time she remained silent, her lips pressed together in a thin line to stop herself crying out.

The screaming intensified. She tried to concentrate on the ground at her feet. Carlisle was trying to negotiate with Jane, but his pleading voice, and that of Esme's were drowned out by Edward's tormented screams.

Finally, it was quiet.

Edward's body dropped bonelessly to the ground at Bella's feet; his amber eyes wide and staring.

"You didn't have to do that. Edward told you what happened." Carlisle said through gritted teeth. He was barely in control. Jasper and Emmett looked murderous, but they took their cues from Carlisle as he motioned at them to remain quiet.

Jane looked up, sudden humour in her dead eyes. She smiled, and Edward shrieked again. Her gaze travelled to Bella. "Are you not going to beg for his life like the last time?" She deadpanned. "Or offer yourself up in his place?"

Bella felt her throat tighten with fear. She tried to hide her panic as she boldly forced her eyes to meet Jane's. "It didn't work the last time." She said thickly. "So why waste my breath."

"I see." Jane said, her voice cold again. "Is his story true? Think about your answer girl. His life is in your hands." She gestured toward Edward who was groaning in pain from her assault.

"Bella doesn't know very much." Carlisle intervened quickly. "Talk to me."

"Hardly." Jane spat. "I believe she knows everything." Her eyes refocused on Bella again. "Were there twenty one of them?"

"I don't know the exact number." Bella hated the quaver in her voice. She cleared her throat before speaking again. "I wasn't in the clearing when the fight went down."

"Of course you weren't." Jane murmured. "This Victoria-did she create the newborns?"

"Yes."

Jane's eyes flicked to Edward, and then back to Bella. "Who really killed Victoria? I know it wasn't him." She kicked out at Edward's torso, sending him rolling across the ground. "He's too weak."

"Jane, enough!" Carlisle cried out.

"Please." Esme begged as she ran to Edward's side and knelt next to him.

"Do you take me for a fool, Carlisle Cullen?" Jane half-smiled, suddenly looking triumphant. "There was no way that your little coven of just seven could take on an army of newborns-even if you did have the aid of Jasper Whitlock." Her gaze travelled to Jasper momentarily, a flicker of admiration crossing her pretty features. "Your reputation precedes you. I was surprised to learn you had joined up with this coven considering your past."

Jasper looked back at Jane steadfastly; his face empty of emotion.

"It seems you had help. You formed an alliance." Jane continued cuttingly. Her sharp gaze settled back on Bella. "Now...tell me again-and I want no lies-who killed the creator?"

Bella stared back at the angelic little demon, comprehension dawning on her face. "You already know who killed Victoria. You've known this whole time." She breathed in horror.

"I want to hear you say his name." Jane demanded succinctly.

"You already know his name." Bella whispered brokenly.

"Say it!" Jane stated loudly, raising her voice a few octaves. "Or I will kill them all." She made a sweeping gesture toward the Cullens.

Bella shuddered, her whole body shaking with emotion. This was a test. She was sure of it. Jane was forcing her to choose. To what end she didn't know. Her eyes flicked to Edward, still writhing on the ground in agony from Jane's tortuous gift to inflict pain. Esme was by his side, her hands brushing his face as she tried to comfort him in his torment. Alice was tucked under Jasper's arm, her face hidden as she suffered silent agonies on Edward's behalf. Carlisle appeared drained, confused. His natural authority had deserted him. Emmet looked like he was spoiling for a fight, he only remained rooted to the spot because of Rosalie.

It was Rosalie who stepped forward now.

* * *

The beautiful blonde shot Jane a disdainful glare, before her golden brown eyes raked haughtily over Felix and the other Volturi guard.

"I am tiring of your games."

Jane's smile disappeared as she regarded Rosalie with equal disdain. "This coming from such a vapid creature as yourself. What gifts do you have to offer other than your ability to dazzle others with your cold beauty?"

A growl erupted form Emmet as he rushed to Rosalie's defence. Felix stepped forward at the same time as he did. They were practically bumping chests. Rosalie sighed theatrically as she put a gentle hand on Emmet's arm.

"This is not the time, my love." She whispered to him, her tone turning tender. "But I appreciate the gesture."

Emmet scowled but he backed down. Jane waved Felix away with an impatient gesture. He stepped back reluctantly, still staring at Emmet challengingly.

"You and you...come with me." Jane ordered Bella and Rosalie as she began to walk away swiftly, seeming to float over the ground. "Felix, keep an eye on the others. If they try to follow...you know what to do."

"Rose?" Emmett reached for his mate but she motioned for him to stay back.

"I'll be fine." Rosalie assured him with a confident smile. "If she wanted to harm us she would have done it by now. Come, Bella." She took Bella's hand and led her gently forward. "It will be okay. I promise you. Just do as she says."

Bella wished she had Rosalie's confidence. Whatever game Jane was playing she didn't understand it. Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest at the thought that the little viper knew about the wolf pack. She knew Jacob was the one who had killed Victoria. Jane had come into the clearing holding all the cards, she had lulled the Cullens into a false sense of security just to make it more enjoyable when she revealed she knew everything anyway. Bella understood why Felix had winked at her now. With dread building with every step she took, she followed Jane and Rosalie into the forest.

* * *

Bella knew that without Rosalie to hold on to she would have fallen flat on her face by now. It was so murky inside the forest she could hardly see through the gloom. It was so silent, eerie almost. She didn't know how far they travelled, it didn't take long before she had lost all sense of time and direction. Bella had trouble keeping up with the rapid pace that Jane was setting and she was soon out of breath. Seeing that she was struggling, Rosalie put her arm around Bella's waist, and practically carried her as they followed in Jane's wake.

Eventually they reached another clearing. This one was much smaller than the one they had left behind. A small brook bubbled through it. Pretty wildflowers rustled gently in the light breeze. Bella was having trouble adjusting to the unexpected light after lingering so long in the gloomy half dark.

"We are far enough away for no one to overhear us." Jane said, apathy creeping back into her voice.

Bella rubbed her aching eyes with the balls of her fists as she continued to lean against Rosalie for support. She didn't understand what was going on or why Jane had brought her and Rosalie with her. Why did she need to be out of hearing range of her companions? Bewildered, she blinked in Jane's direction, seeking answers.

"I don't understand." She faltered.

"Pathetic human." Jane drawled, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Bella hatefully. "You have no idea of the power you wield, do you?"

"Power?" Bella looked helplessly toward Rosalie.

"Her gift doesn't work on you." Rosalie said wonderingly as she looked at Jane in surprise.

Jane's laser-like stare encompassed Rosalie for a minute, before her mouth turned down in frustration.

"And now they're not working on me, either." Rosalie laughed, earning herself another glare from Jane.

"She's protecting you." Jane sneered. "She protected him once-but today she only extended that protection to you and the other members of your coven. I wonder why that is? You allowed me to hurt him. Is it because he hurt you?"

Rosalie's eyes snapped to Bella in an instant. "Did he?" She demanded. She saw Bella's face pale and she scowled. "I knew it. I could tell something was going on. Tell me!"

Bella didn't want to relive that night again-especially not in front of Jane. Rosalie was seething with rage. If she told her the extent of Edward's lapse in control she was likely to explode. Right now they needed to deal with Jane.

"What do you want from me?" She asked the doll like blonde.

"A deal."

"What deal?"

Jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief. "You really have no idea."

"Idea of what?" Bella said desperately.

"How powerful you will be when you become one of us." Jane's face filled with jealousy as she regarded Bella with envious eyes. "Your mind is impenetrable; no one can read your thoughts unless you allow it. You can shield yourself from all types of psychic attacks and also shield those around you. Your power has grown since we last encountered each other in Volterra. Imagine how great that power will be once you are no longer weakened by your human body."

Bella gasped in surprise. This was impossible. "But I'm nobody special."

Jane laughed-the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child-which was at odds with the harsh expression on her beatific face. "Of course you are nobody special. Without this power you would be nothing."

"But it means something to you." Rosalie cut in haughtily.

Jane raised one eyebrow as her sinister laughter died on her lips. "Yes, it does. Her gift is one of the most sought after in the vampire world. It is one of the most powerful gifts known in vampire history due to its ability to withstand the strongest powers of the Volturi."

"Including yours." Rosalie retorted. "You're worried that if Aro or the others find out just how powerful she really is they'll want her for themselves. If she was changed she would become the most powerful vampire in the guard-taking your place by Aro's side."

Jane hissed angrily, her malevolent stare was focused on the beautiful blonde, but nothing happened. She turned her ire on Bella instead. "You are still protecting her." She snarled.

Bella's head was spinning with all that she had learned. Jane's description of her shielding power explained so much. It was the reason why Edward couldn't read her mind, why none of the Volturi's powers worked on her. She wondered how long she had been unconsciously using it to protect those she loved. She recalled Edward's frustration that he had been having difficulty reading Jacob's mind for a while now. Maybe it wasn't just Jacob's new Alpha status that had been keeping Edward out of his head-maybe she had something to do with that, too.

"You said you wanted a deal?" She said breathlessly. "What is it?"

"You don't change and I won't tell Aro about your furry friends. The ones who helped the Cullens destroy the newborns. You know what would happen to them if I accidentally let slip that they existed." Jane taunted her.

"Is that it?" Bella asked warily. Surely it couldn't be as easy as all that. "I think you are forgetting the promise I was forced to make to Aro."

"Time that passes so quickly to a human goes slowly in our world. You would have lived out your natural life and died before he even remembered you existed." Jane countered. "So, what is it to be? Your life as one of the most powerful vampires that ever existed...or the lives of your friends."

"What about Felix and the other guard? How can I trust that they won't talk?" Bella whispered.

Jane's smile turned wicked. "There are always casualties in any fight. Felix and Aaron were just some of them."

"You're going to tell Aro they died clearing up Victoria's mess." Rosalie said in disgust.

"What I tell Aro is none of your business." Jane's fine features twisted into a scowl. "You still haven't given me your answer." She snapped at Bella. "Do we have a deal?"

"Yes." Bella said steadily as she met Jane's angry stare. "I'll live and die as a human. You can count on that."

Jane's reddened eyes scanned Bella's face for a moment. "I expect I have the Alpha mutt to thank for that decision." She revealed with a hollow laugh. "I've been spying on you for weeks. I've seen the way you look at him. It also explains your indifference toward Edward Cullen."

Bella didn't bother to respond.

Jane seemed satisfied that her business was concluded. "I shall leave you now." Her tone had turned to its former apathetic state. "But remember if you dare to cross me I will return and kill you all."

She swept dramatically in a circle, her long cloak swirling at her feet. She drifted back into the gloom. The incense smell was strong again-fresh. Her cloak disappeared into the thick mist, taking her with it.

When she was gone, Bella let out a long sigh. She was so damn tired. All she wanted was Jacob. She looked at Rosalie. "I want to go back to La Push. Can you take me?"

"Not until you tell me exactly what happened with Edward the other night?" Rosalie demanded with a deep frown.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	25. Chapter 25

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty Five-Edward and Rosalie**

Rosalie's eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. In that moment Bella could tell the ravishing blonde was far away, reliving the tragic circumstances of her own past. Bella drew in a deep breath as Rosalie's burning hard stare seared right through her heart.

"I've told you everything. I just want to go to La Push now. I need to be with Jake."

Rosalie didn't even seem to hear her. Much to Bella's dismay she found herself swept off her feet and thrown over Rosalie's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The enraged blonde took off at a dizzying speed, heading back to the clearing. All Bella could do was go along for the ride. She shut her eyes, feeling nauseous, her body was being jolted all over the place. Rosalie was beyond caring if she had a smooth ride.

The journey took a matter of minutes. Soon Bella was hit with the same sickly sweet smell of burning incense from the smouldering bonfires. She coughed, trying to regain her balance as she was suddenly pulled from Rosalie's shoulder and thrust to the ground.

"Bella!" Edward's velvet voice was full of relief as he quickly ran to join her. He had made a full recovery from Jane's assault. His hand reached for her, rubbing anxiously against her shoulder. "The Volturi have gone now. Jane came for the guards and they left together."

"DO NOT TOUCH HER!" Rosalie's malevolent stare was enough to burn a hole through Edward's toughened skin. His hand dropped from Bella's shoulder as he looked at Rosalie warily. His eyes registered confusion as he sought to read his adopted sister's mind, trying to understand her sudden hostility toward him.

Bella's heart hummed erratically in her chest. She gazed at Rosalie, completely stunned by the burning hot anger reflected in her amber eyes. She watched as those eyes turned pure black with hate. Rosalie's stare felt painful and piercing, because there was so much pent up hurt behind it.

"Rose." Bella said cautiously. "I-"

"Stay out of it." Rosalie replied bitingly. "And drop your guard. Let him read my mind. Let him understand what a sick, twisted, control freak he really is."

The other Cullens had joined them now. They formed a semi-circle around Rosalie, Edward and Bella. Carlisle stepped forward, confusion registering all over his face. "What is going on here? What happened, Rosalie?" He questioned gently.

Rosalie didn't bother to respond. Her whole attention was still on Edward. His expression had changed to one of devastation as Bella lifted the protective wrapping she had unwittingly placed on Rosalie's mind and allowed him to see exactly what she was thinking.

"I never...it wasn't...I would never..." Edward fumbled for the right words to defend himself. His tormented gaze flicked to Bella. "Please, we spoke about this."

His piss poor attempt to excuse his actions were not enough to placate Rosalie as she unleashed the full force of her fury on him. She was completely lost in the past. As she looked at Edward all she could see was Royce's face. Her fingers turned into claws as she growled like an angry lioness defending her cubs, slashing at his face with her sharp nails.

"Hey, Rose, baby. Hey!" Emmet launched himself at her, locking his arms around Rosalie's waist and hauling her away from Edward.

"Let me go!" She screamed at him. "He deserves to die. Jane should have killed him."

"What is Edward supposed to have done?" Esme was completely distraught. Her hand hovered over her mouth as she looked at Edward's guilty face. "Edward?"

"He sexually assaulted Bella until she was screaming at him to stop. Then he emotionally manipulated her afterwards." Rosalie cried, she writhed in Emmet's arms as she fought to break free.

Carlisle's eyes snapped to Edward's. "Is this true?" He demanded.

Edward struggled to make an excuse. He just shook his head in denial instead.

"Bella?" Carlisle turned to face her. His jaw was locked tight, his amber eyes radiating disbelief. "Is what Rose saying true? Or has she misinterpreted the situation? Or...have you?" He finished slowly.

"Carlisle!" Esme said in disgust.

"It's true." Bella whispered. She was close to tears now. She was tired. So damn tired. All she wanted was to get away from this crazy family and be with Jacob. "It happened the night I stayed over at your place with Edward. You were all out hunting..."

A sob tore from her throat as she forced herself to look in his direction. Her eyes roamed the familiar planes of his face-his expression was pained.

"Bella, we spoke about this. You said you understood. I-"

"You know you've done something pretty awful when you've got to work so hard to justify your actions." Bella interjected hoarsely. "Now you need to accept what you've done and deal with the consequences."

A loud ringing slap rocked Edward's head backwards. Esme stood in front of him, infuriated. "How could you?" She lambasted him. She swung around and faced Carlisle. "What he did was unforgivable. You cannot continue to defend him, Carlisle. You need to make a choice."

Carlisle's expression was tortured as he stared in Edward's direction. His full lips were drawn into a thin line as he gazed with open disappointment at his favourite son. "I have loved you like my own son. I have taught you my values-honour, compassion and respect. I forgave you when you left the family, rejected our lifestyle and pursued your own pleasures. I welcomed you back when you promised that was all behind you. But even my forgiveness has limits...and I cannot forgive this."

"Carlisle...it was a momentary loss of control. I love Bella. I would never hurt her. Please..." Edward begged.

"You are no longer a member of this family." Carlisle said coldly as he delivered the final hammer blow. He turned his back on Edward to face Bella instead. "Let me drive you to La Push, my dear. I need to attend to Jacob Black's injuries and I'm sure that he is desperate to see you."

Bella nodded her thanks. As Carlisle laid his hand gently on her shoulder and led her away she heard Edward crying her name. In the past it would have affected her deeply, but she had closed her heart and mind to him now. Both of those belonged to Jacob.

With no regrets she walked away and left his family to deal with him.

* * *

Billy had given Carlisle special dispensation to come onto the reservation to treat Jacob. He was forced to abandon his car as four wolves met with him at the treaty line to personally escort him to the Black's house. Bella recognised Sam, Paul, Jared and Quil-all in their wolf forms. They made an intimidating guard as they raced on ahead with Carlisle in the midst of them.

Embry was also waiting at the treaty line in Jacob's car. When she climbed out of Carlisle's plush Mercedes and saw the old Volkswagen parked on the side of the road, she burst into tears. She slid into the passenger seat to Embry's welcoming grin.

"Hey, Em." She greeted him with a grateful smile.

"Hey, wolf girl. Strap yourself in. Jake will kill me if you get even a scratch under my watch." Embry said as he put the car into gear and pulled away from the side of the road.

"How is he, Embry?" Bella asked anxiously as she fumbled with her seat belt.

"Raging." Embry laughed but there was no humour behind it. "The idiot is all busted up on one side but he still tried to go after you until he passed out with the pain."

"You mean he's unconscious?" Bella began to panic. "But Carlisle said he was going to be alright."

"He will be." Embry tried to reassure her. "It will just take some time."

"But you said-"

"Bella, breathe." Embry warned her.

Bella knew she was getting hysterical. She had been running on pure adrenaline up until that point but now it deserted her. She slumped in her seat and put her head in her hands.

Embry took one hand off the wheel and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder in sympathy. "I'm sorry, Bella." He said apologetically. He paused for a few seconds, his expression turning serious. "And I'm sorry we had to leave you with the vamps. We didn't want to, but..."

"You had no choice but to go. You couldn't risk the Volturi seeing you." Bella cut in quietly. She pulled her hands from her face and breathed deeply in an effort to compose herself. The last thing Jacob needed was to see her in a state. For once she wanted to be the strong one. She flashed Embry a weak smile. "I'm okay...really." She assured him firmly.

"You're awesome, wolf girl." Embry said with a sweet smile. "Jake's a lucky guy."

"No, I'm the lucky one." Bella murmured as she settled back in her seat and closed her eyes.

* * *

Carlisle was already gone when Embry and Bella turned up at Billy's house. Embry had driven deliberately slowly and taken a circuitous route in order to delay their arrival on purpose. He knew that Jacob wouldn't want Bella there while Carlisle worked on re-setting his broken bones.

Bella was so eager to get out of the car and see Jacob that she forgot about her seatbelt. She unleashed some very unladylike language as she struggled to un-clip it. Embry was laughing his ass off as he reached across and swiftly released the catch.

"Yep-definitely a wolf girl now." He chuckled.

Bella ignored him as she stumbled her way to the house, nearly tripping in her haste as she ran up the porch steps two at a time. She tapped quietly on the front door

"Come in, Bella." Billy called, obviously guessing who it was.

Bella let herself in.

"Hey, Billy, is he awake?" She babbled. "Is he okay? Can I-"

"He's awake now. The doctor just left. Go on in. He's been waiting for you."

Bella smiled at Billy, and then took a deep breath. "Thanks."

As soon as she reached Jacob's room she paused. She had just intended on barging her way inside, but decided to peek first-hoping to get a good look at him first before presenting herself. She opened the door a crack and leaned hesitantly in.

Jacob was waiting for her, his face calm and smooth. Despite his injuries there was a fierce animation in his dark eyes. Bella stared at his beloved face, a feeling of intense love and tenderness welling up inside her. Someone had covered him with a blanket, probably as a thoughtful gesture to stop her seeing the extent of the damage to his body.

Bella finally stepped in and shut the door quietly.

"Jacob Black." She breathed. "Don't you dare frighten me like that again!"

Jacob looked at her face lovingly, his eyes lighting up with happiness upon seeing her again. "Are you real?" He asked. "I'm so fucking stoned I don't know which way is up. Dr. Fang wasn't sure how much pain medication I'd need, so he's going with trial and error. I think he overdid it."

"But you're not in pain."

"No. At least, I can't feel my injuries." He said wryly.

"Oh, that's good. That's so freaking good." Bella replied in relief as she rushed to his bedside and knelt down beside him.

"Oh god, Bells, I love you so damn much." He told her. His forehead creased, like he was worried. "How about you?" He pleaded, sounding really concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Me?" Bella stared at him. Maybe he had taken too many drugs. "Why?"

"Well, I mean, I was pretty sure that he wouldn't actually hurt you, but I wasn't sure how bad it was going to be. I've been going a little crazy with worrying about you since I woke up. I was panicking that something terrible had gone down while I was out. The suspense was terrible. How did it go? I didn't mean for you to go through that alone. I was thinking I'd be there..."

It took Bella a minute to even understand. He babbled on, looking more and more awkward, until she got what he was saying. Then she hurried to reassure him.

"No, no, Jake! I'm fine. I think right about now Rosalie is beating the crap out of him."

Jacob's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

"I told Rosalie-well she made me, she guessed something was up anyway-she got so mad. Edward tried to defend himself...but there was no excuse he could give for what he did to me."

"You told them yourself? My brave, brave girl!" Jacob said with pride. "C'mere, honey."

Bella kneeled by his head, afraid to sit on the bed in case she jostled it and hurt him accidentally. She leaned in to touch her forehead to his cheek. "I love you so much." She whispered.

Jacob put his hand on her hair, holding her there. "I love you, too."

Bella felt tears brimming in her eyes. She tried to hold them back, but failed.

"Are you crying?" Jacob demanded. He twitched impatiently on the bed.

"Yeah." Bella muttered. "I'm just so happy that you're gonna be alright. I was so sc...scared."

Jacob shifted his weight, throwing his good leg off the bed as if he were going to try and stand.

"What are you doing?" Bella demanded through her tears. "Lie down, you idiot, you'll hurt yourself!" She jumped to her feet and pushed his good shoulder down with two hands.

Jacob surrendered, leaning back with a gasp of pain, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto the bed, against his good side. She curled up there, trying to stifle the silly sobs against his hot skin.

"It's alright, honey." He said huskily. "Cry all you want to. I'm right here."

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews on this story!**_

**Part Twenty Six-Charlie and Bella**

Jacob's lips brushed Bella's. Not innocently, like a tease but hot, fiery passionate and demanding. Bella was already losing herself in him. His incredible heat was seducing her senses until she could no longer think straight.

"Bells." He whispered slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savour them.

She smiled, her heart fluttering at the intensity in his voice as she clasped her hands on either side of his face. Never before had her name felt so wonderful a one, she thought, as she leaned in for another kiss...

The bedroom door was thrust open and Charlie walked in. "I want a word with you, Jake...Bella?" He stopped midsentence and stared at his daughter anchored to Jacob's side. "What the hell is going on here? I thought you were staying with Alice for the weekend."

"I...I...I..." Bella stuttered as her face turned crimson. She made an effort to scramble away from Jacob but only ended up hurting him as her knee accidentally connected with his broken ribs.

"Shit!" Jacob cussed as his eyes squeezed shut in agony.

"You deserved that one, boy." Charlie showed no sympathy at all as he reached out and practically hauled Bella away from Jacob. "Save the explanations for later, Bells." He warned her with a beady eye. "Wait outside."

"But, Dad!" Bella protested.

Charlie was in no mood for listening. He pushed her out into the hall and closed the door shut behind her. Flustered and confused, Bella tried the handle but Charlie must have locked it from the inside.

"It's no use, Bella." Billy called out cheerfully from the front room. "When the chief is in that mood, nothing can get through to him."

Bella sighed as she heard Charlie's muffled shout from the other side of the door. He was yelling at Jacob about something. She gave up on trying to fight her way back inside Jacob's room and wandered down the hall to join Billy in the other room.

"Jake can handle himself, Bella." Billy was parked in front of the T.V. He didn't seem in the least concerned that his best friend was ticking off his injured son.

"What is he even doing here?" Bella asked in dismay. With everything that had been going on she had lost track of time.

"He heard about Jake's motorcycle accident." Billy told her.

So that was the cover story they were using to explain away Jacob's injuries.

"You know how your old man feels about motorcycles." Billy shrugged as if it was no big deal. "The chief took it upon himself to come over and give Jake a lecture about riding so recklessly. Just as a favour to me, of course."

"Of course." Bella agreed wryly.

There was more muffled shouting followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. Charlie appeared in the hallway, his face grim but determined. "That should stop him getting back on the thing." He said to Billy as he strolled into view.

"Thanks, Chief." Billy said casually. "Want a beer?"

"No, I've got to get this one h-" Charlie paused, frowning. "Exactly what are you doing here, Bells?" He stopped speaking again as his suspicious gaze darted to Billy. "Hey, why didn't you tell me my kid was here?"

"I didn't know, did I." Billy huffed as he threw Bella under the bus without a second thought. "She must of sneaked in when I wasn't looking. Or maybe she climbed in through the window or something. That's the trouble with living all on one level."

"My daughter would never sneak through any boys window." Charlie said defensively. "Would you, kiddo?"

"No...never." Bella agreed stoutly.

"There you go then." Billy said, grinning widely.

Charlie opened his mouth to argue his point further but shut it again as he tried to make sense of the strange conversation. Feeling completely flummoxed he scratched the back of his neck while mumbling irritably under his breath.

"We'll be on our way then." He said eventually.

"Okay, chief." Billy gave his friend another cheerful smile before turning his attention to Bella. "Feel free to come over any time, Bella. I'm sure Jake will recover a lot faster with you there to nurse him. Oh, you better use the front door next time, just to save your old man having a coronary."

"I will." Bella promised faintly, feeling completely bemused. Somehow Billy had managed to stop any awkward questions from Charlie by being so flippant. "I'll just let Jake know that I'm going now and that I'll be back la-"

"Not so fast, young lady." Charlie put his hands on her shoulders and steered her toward the front door when she made a move to go back to Jacob's bedroom. "I'm sure Billy can do that for you."

"No problem." Billy laughed as he waved them goodbye.

* * *

"I told you those motorcycles were dangerous. I hope this makes you realise that I wasn't kidding around." Charlie lectured when they got back home to Forks.

Bella nodded, deciding it was best to remain silent so he could get everything off his chest. She started to pull things out of the fridge while Charlie settled himself in at the table.

"If I hear of you riding again, Bella-"

"No problem there, Dad. You won't." Bella cut in quickly.

"I should hope not. He's broken his right leg, and his right arm. Pretty much the whole right side of his body got crushed when he wrecked that damn bike." Charlie shook his head. "What if you had been on the back of it?"

"But I wasn't."

"But you could have been." Charlie grumbled. "Billy says when his friends carried him in the boy was cussing like a good 'un. He said the whole of La Push must have heard him." His lips pursed in disapproval. "I don't know where he picked up that vocabulary, but I hope he hasn't been using that kind of language around you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "He probably picked it up from you and Billy. Your language gets very colourful whenever the Mariners are losing-which is pretty much every game. And it doesn't seem to bother you if I'm within hearing range then."

"I do not!" Charlie denied hotly.

"If you say so, Dad." Bella placated him. She hesitated for a minute before asking her next question. "So...um... what did he say when you spoke to him?"

Charlie gave her one of his piercing stares, not fooled at all by her fake nonchalance. "Well he listened." He grumbled. "But he was himself enough to tease me."

"Tease you?" Bella echoed in shock.

"Yeah-in between insulting somebody's mother and taking the Lords name in vain because he was still in pain when you kneed him in the ribs."

"That was accident." Bella mumbled.

"Well, he said, 'Bet you're glad she's dumped Cullens ass and is with me today, huh, Charlie?' Cheeky little..." The rest of his sentence was muttered under his breath.

Bella turned back to the fridge so the he couldn't see the blush rising on her face.

"And I couldn't argue with that. Jacob may be an idiot but he's better for you than that creep Cullen." Charlie said grudgingly. "So, when were you gonna let me in on your change of heart, kiddo? And why did you lie to me about this weekend shopping trip with Alice."

"I was with Alice. I just heard about Jake's accident and I went straight over there to see if he was alright." Bella muttered defensively.

"Billy didn't even know you were there. Did you sneak in through Jake's window?" Charlie asked suspiciously. "You better not get into that habit."

"Dad!" Bella cried, appalled.

"It's been a weird couple of days." Charlie murmured after a minute. "You know, I don't put much stock in that superstitious crap like your mother, but it was odd...It was like Billy knew something bad was going to happen to Jake. He was as nervous as a turkey on Thanksgiving when we were fishing. I don't think he heard anything I said to him."

"And then-weirder then that-remember back in February and March when we had all that trouble with the wolves?"

Bella startled when he mentioned the wolves. She bent down to get a frying pan out of the cupboard, and hid there an extra second or two to compose herself.

"Yeah." She mumbled.

"I hope we're not going to have a problem with that again." Charlie continued. "When we were out in the boat, and Billy wasn't paying any attention to me or the fish, when all of a sudden, you could hear wolves yowling in the woods. More than one, and boy, was it loud. Sounded like they were right there. Weirdest part was, Billy turned the boat around and headed straight back to the harbour like they were calling to him personally. Didn't even hear me ask what he was doing."

Bella swallowed thickly as she tried to concentrate on prepping the food.

"The noise stopped before we got the boat docked. But all of a sudden Billy was in the biggest hurry not to miss the game, though we had hours still. he was mumbling something about an earlier showing...of a live game? I tell you, Bella, it was odd."

"Very odd." Bella agreed quietly.

"Well instead of going to his house he dragged me over to Sue's. She wasn't at home of course. She was on shift at the hospital. He said their T.V's reception was better than his. He found some game he said he wanted to watch, but then he just ignored it. He was on the phone the whole time, calling Sue at work, calling Emily, and Jake's friend Quil's grandpa. Couldn't make out what he was looking for-just chatted with them real casual like."

Bella closed her eyes and leaned against the kitchen counter for support. She could almost guess what Charlie was going to say next.

"Then the howling started again. I've never heard anything like it-I had goose bumps on my arms. It sounded like the animal was in serious pain..." Charlie ended his story and shook his head at the strangeness of it all.

He stretched his legs and groaned. "It's nice to be home, kiddo. Especially now that I know that I won't have to put up with your ex's pasty face staring at me every day."

Bella just nodded absently. She put Charlie's dinner on the table next to his elbow and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" He said in surprise.

"To La Push."

"We've just come back from La Push." Charlie complained. "Will you sit down, Bells. I want to talk to you."

Bella sighed, already impatient to be gone. She was missing Jacob already. It was like the ache in her heart could only be eased by being with him again. She sat across from Charlie and tried to focus.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Here's the gist of it, Bella." Charlie flushed. "Maybe I'm just feeling...superstitious after hanging out with Billy while he was being so strange all day. But I have this...hollow feeling...like I'm going to lose you soon."

Bella was astounded by his confession. She looked at him guiltily as it hit too close to home. "Don't be silly, Dad." She mumbled. "You want me to go to college, don't you?"

"Just promise me one thing."

Bella was hesitant. "Okay..."

"Will you tell me before you do anything major? Before you run off and get married or something?"

"What?" Bella exclaimed. "Are you serious?"

"I see that look in Jake's eye. I see it in yours too. I'm not so old and crusty that I don't remember what it's like when you're in the first flush of love."

Cringing mentally, Bella held up her hand. "This is silly. But, if it makes you happy...I promise."

"Thanks, Bells." Charlie said, happy now. "I love you, kid. You made the right choice, you know. Jake will treat you right. Didn't I always tell you to love what's good for you. You know they're the one by the way they make you feel."

"I guess. I love you, too, Dad." Bella touched his shoulder, and then shoved away from the table. "If you need anything, I'll be at Billy's."

Charlie sighed dramatically. "Young love, eh!" He pointed his fork toward Bella in warning. "Oh, and Bella?" He called out when she reached the front door.

"Yes." She yelled over her shoulder.

"Make sure you use protection when the time comes. I don't want to be a grandfather before the age of forty." Charlie said seriously as Bella's face turned bright red.

_**A/N-thanks for reading!**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Makes You Feel**

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

_**A/N-thank you for the kind reviews!**_

**Part Twenty Seven-The Right Choice**

A few days later Bella opened the front door to find Alice Cullen hovering nervously on her doorstep. Her eyes were wide and innocent as she gazed at Bella anxiously. "May I come in?"

The very fact that she was asking showed Bella the shift in their relationship. After Edward, Alice was her closest friend within the family. The dynamic had shifted when it turned out that Rosalie was her biggest ally during her hour of need. She blinked, hesitating a few seconds while she tried to keep her thoughts from skittering away from her, wondering why Alice was even here.

"Please, Bella." Alice begged, easily interpreting her preoccupation. "I need to apologise. Just give me a few minutes."

There was so many things that she needed to think of, but Bella couldn't seem to concentrate. Alice's visit had blindsided her and she wasn't comfortable about that.

"You should have called."

"I was worried you wouldn't answer. And I thought it would be harder for you to say no to me if we were face to face." Alice's musical lilt turned sombre. "Please, Bella, just give me five minutes."

"With your gift I would have assumed you would see the outcome." Bella replied sarcastically. She wasn't in the mood to be forgiving. Alice was supposed to be her friend but she had let her down in the worst way.

"I can't see you, Bella." Alice confessed slowly. A soft sigh escaped her parted lips. "I haven't been able to see you for a while. Whenever I tried to focus on you everything was all so hazy. It's one of the reasons I didn't see what happened between you and Edward...I'm so sorry."

Bella took a deep breath to steady herself. Jacob was healing nicely now. Carlisle had kept up his daily visits, making sure that the broken bones he had reset were knitting together properly. Jacob was on his feet now and getting around with the aid of crutches. Carlisle had lowered the pain relief and predicted that within another week Jacob would be fully fit again. She was grateful to Carlisle for helping Jacob, the least she could do was extend that courtesy to Alice.

"Come in, then." She said, stepping aside to give Alice room to pass.

"Thank you." Alice reached out and stroked Bella's arm, her forehead puckering when Bella flinched away from her touch. "Oh, I overstepped the mark, didn't I?"

"Yes." Bella responded curtly. She led the way into the kitchen and motioned for Alice to sit down.

"Thank you." Alice settled gracefully into the proffered seat. "You're looking well, Bella." She began.

"I'm not in the mood to exchange pleasantries. Alice. Say your piece and then go." Bella pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her former friend.

"Jas said I should expect you to be cold toward me." Alice clasped her hands in her lap and smiled at Bella contritely. "I was just hoping..." She paused, looking sorrowful again. "I was just hoping in time you would be able to forgive me. To forgive all of us."

"If you're hoping that includes Edward, then you are sadly mistaken." Bella snapped.

"I wasn't expecting that." Alice watched Bella's face with sad eyes. In truth, the little psychic looked like her favourite toy had been taken away from her. She lowered her head and gazed at her clasped hands. "The family is splitting up, Bella." She admitted in a low voice.

"What? Why?" Bella was astonished. She knew that Carlisle had expelled Edward from the coven, but that didn't explain why they would need to all go their separate ways.

"It's been a long time coming I think." Alice murmured, sighing again. "There has been a rift growing between all of us for a long time now...and what Edward did just fractured it completely."

Bella listened quietly while Alice composed her dainty features into a sad smile. "Rosalie and Emmet have already left for South Africa. What Edward did to you really affected her. It brought back some very painful memories and Emmet decided it was a good time to go on an extended vacation to try and distract her from her demons."

Bella felt tears well in her eyes at this piece of news. Out of all the Cullens, Rosalie's demise was one of the most horrific. It was understandable that she would react badly to someone she considered family assaulting anyone. She could feel Alice examining her face, her eyes unfathomable. It seemed that the little psychic had been reduced to using old fashioned techniques to try and read her emotions.

"You really can't see me at all." She said wonderingly.

"It happened slowly." Alice whispered. "It was so strange to me-to see your future disappearing right before my eyes-until there was nothing but blankness. I kept it a secret from Edward as long as I could. I knew it would frighten him. The battle was approaching and we all had to be fully focused on surviving that."

_"It was when I realised I was completely, irrevocably in love with Jacob._" Bella murmured.

"Yes." Alice's expression turned wistful. "I always remember my first memory was seeing Jasper's face in my future; I always knew that he was where my life was headed." She swallowed and glanced at Bella from under her impossibly thick lashes. "But you were my first human friend-or I should say my only real friend."

"Alice-"

"Please, let me finish, Bella." Alice pleaded. "You were my first real friend and I wasn't there when you needed me the most. I let my allegiance to Edward override my loyalty to you. I am so very sorry."

"It's over now." Bella said wearily. Talking about Edward was making her edgy. "I just want to move on."

"I understand." Alice regarded Bella pensively. "I know what Edward did was wrong, Bella. But I can't abandon him. He is suffering terribly. He hates himself and I worry he will do something reckless again now that he has lost you for good."

"He won't go to the Volturi again, will he?" Bella asked in alarm, panicking at the very thought of him dredging up the fact that she existed to Aro and the others.

"I'll make sure he doesn't." Alice promised fervently. "Jasper and I are taking him away. Somewhere remote until we are sure he is recovered enough emotionally to be on his own again."

Bella nodded, her panic receding with the knowledge that Alice would act as his caretaker for the foreseeable future. At least the little psychic would know if Edward made any crazy decisions and stop him before he harmed himself or anyone else.

"Thank you, Alice." She said sincerely.

"It's the very least I can do, considering everything that has happened." Alice's tone was thick with guilt. "I wish the very best for you, Bella. You will always be my sister." She reached out and stroked Bella's cheek, and this time Bella let her.

"What about Carlisle and Esme?"

"Carlisle has already had a job offer from one of the most prestigious hospitals in New York. He and Esme will be relocating there now that he is no longer needed here." Alice confided. "I hear that Jacob Black is on the mend."

"Yes." A tender smile crossed Bella's face as she conjured him up in her mind.

"He makes you happy?"

"Very."

"Then I'm glad." Alice smiled as she slowly began to rise. "I should go."

Bella stood up and walked with Alice to the front door. "Thanks for stopping by." She whispered, surprised to find that she actually meant it. Talking to Alice had given her some much needed closure.

"Thank you for seeing me." Alice dared to put her arms around Bella. "Live your best life, Bella. I'm rooting for you."

"I will." Bella returned her hug for a moment before stepping back. "Goodbye, Alice."

"Goodbye, Bella." Alice said softly, before finally taking her leave.

* * *

**Six weeks later-Jacob and Bella**

"And Sue stopped by today." Billy's voice droned on in the background as Jacob stood at the window, impatiently waiting for Bella to arrive. She was late and he wondered what the hold-up was. He hoped the stupid truck hadn't broken down again. The old red monster was on its last legs, although Bella refused to see it. There was only so many times he could patch it up before the thing died completely.

"Are you listening, Jake?" Billy demanded his attention again.

"Yes." He muttered.

"I tell you. Sue is an amazing woman. She's tougher than grizzlies, that one. I don't know how she deals with that daughter of hers, though. Now Sue, she would have made one hell of a wolf. Leah's more of a wolverine." Billy chuckled at his own joke.

Jacob wasn't listening. He was at the window again, staring toward the horizon. All his dad talked about these days was Sue. It was obvious to everyone but Billy that his old man was developing feelings for her. When Jacob had brought it up once his father had trotted out the old mantra-'We're just friends.'

_Yeah, right!_

But Jacob knew Billy might have a rival for Sue Clearwater's affections if the soppy looks Charlie Swan gave her were anything to go by. It looked like another love triangle was developing. But this was one triangle that Jacob was glad not to be a part of. The olds would have to sort things out for themselves.

"Seth's a lot easier. Of course, you were easier than your sisters, too, until...well, you have more to deal with than they did."

Jacob sighed, long and deep, and continued his vigil at the window. Billy wasn't wrong. He did have a lot to deal with-his duty to the tribe and pack kept him busy-but with Bella in his life, loving and supporting him, it was so much easier.

"I thought I might cook Sue dinner." Billy rambled on. "You don't mind if she comes over tonight, do you?"

Finally, the loud rumbling sound of the old metal monster signalled Bella's arrival. Jacob watched as the old Chevy jerked and shuddered its way down the dirt track leading to the front yard. Steam was pouring out from under the hood, which was a good indicator of why Bella was so late.

"Jake, did you hear me? I said Sue might come over." Billy said testily.

"Sue. Dinner. Great." Jacob said absently as he headed for the front door.

"Make yourself scarce tonight." Billy yelled after him.

"Whatever." Jacob bounded out of the house, his long legs eating up the distance as he reached Bella's truck, yanked the door open and pulled her into a bear hug. "God, I'm so glad you're here." He said, breathing her in.

"I missed you, too." Bella giggled before his lips covered hers in a scorching kiss.

Jacob laughed when the kiss was over. He set Bella down on her feet and took her hand instead. She was still breathless from the kiss. "I've got a surprise for you." He said cheerfully as he led her toward the Taj.

"Surprise?" Bella gasped. "You know I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one." Jacob leaned his head down and brushed his lips tenderly over hers to quieten her protests. "You need something to replace that old monster." He said, referring to the broken down old Chevy.

"Jake, don't diss my truck. She's just having a bad day." Bella pouted.

"Bells, I know you love the old girl, but she's knackered. I've tried to give the engine the kiss of life, but even my mad skills are not enough to keep her going. It's time to let her go, honey." Jacob squeezed her fingers gently in understanding as he watched sadness settle on her pretty face.

"It's just that we've been through so much together." Bella murmured as she looked dejectedly at the cherry red truck. Steam was still pouring out from under the hood.

"Hold onto the memories." Jacob suggested with a warm smile as he towed Bella the rest of the way toward the garage. The light was fading as dusk approached.

It started to rain.

* * *

The candlelight was an arc of brilliant gold in the blackness. It bathed the interior of the Taj in a soft glow. By candlelight Bella looked more beautiful than ever to Jacob. The soft lighting made her pale skin appear almost translucent, ethereal. In the dimness her eyes turned from their soft brown to almost black. She looked so different, like an angel. He was mesmerised by her.

"You did this all this?"

The gentle cadence of her voice startled him out of his introspection. It was only then that he realised he was staring.

"Yeah." He said, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Wow." Bella breathed as she spun around in a circle, taking it all in.

As well as the candles Jacob had cleared a space in the centre of the garage and spread a thick picnic blanket on the floor. Around the edges he had thrown a few cushions. Jacob's eyes caught Bella's briefly as she examined the spread of scotch eggs, fresh bread sandwiches, sausage rolls and quiche. Everything looked exquisite and perfectly made.

Bella raised her eyebrows and looked at him enquiringly. "Emily?" She asked, pointing to the food.

"Yeah, Emily." Jacob admitted, laughing. "But I did the rest."

"It's perfect." Bella said softly as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. "But what's the special occasion?" Her lips brushed tantalisingly against his as she spoke, sending off ripples of desire inside of him.

"I'm giving you the Rabbit." Jacob cradled the back of her head as he swallowed her gasp of surprise with a gentle kiss.

"Jake, I can't. That's too much." She said breathlessly as she broke away from the kiss. "You worked so hard on her. I can't take her away from you." She studied his handsome face with anxious eyes.

Jacob laughed, the rich sound echoing off the metal walls of the Taj. She was too cute and adorable for her own good sometimes. To him the old VW was just a car. But to her it was like he was giving up an old friend.

"I'm sure I can cope. And I'm kinda getting too big to sit comfortably inside the old girl anyway. You'll be doing me a favour if you take her off my hands. It will make me feel a lot better knowing that she's going to someone who will look after her as well as I did."

"You sure?" Bella sucked in her lower lip, her brown eyes sliding eagerly toward the VW Rabbit, which was parked in the corner of the garage, the red paintwork shining beautifully in the soft glow of the candlelight.

"I'm very sure." Jacob promised as he gathered her in his arms and kissed her again. His hand drifted to her hip. It settled there and pulled her closer. Bella inhaled sharply. She rested against his warm chest, chiselled to perfection. "I love you, Bells." He nuzzled the shell of her ear, sending pleasurable tingles flowing through her body.

"I love you, too." Bella's breathing quickened as Jacob began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. His strong arms encircled her and she let out a happy sigh of contentment.

He was her home.

_**Fin.**_

_**A/N-thanks for reading! A much better resolution to Eclipse I think. Now we'll have to rename Breaking Dawn as Bella's Dawn or something instead, LOL ;)**_


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